QUINN SIPPED HER WINE, the need for a little Dutch courage outweighing her dislike of the taste. The man in front of her was hot with a capital H—curly black hair, a sharp jaw and blue eyes that burned right through her...not to mention a pair of soft jeans that molded to his thighs like a dream—and she was flirting with him.

She didn’t flirt. Ever.

“I bet you’re a whiz at ‘Super Mario,’” Aiden said.

“What makes you say that?” She shifted on the high heels Alana had lent her, wishing that she was wearing something more comfortable.

Having a gorgeous guy stand so close to her was making her body haywire enough; she didn’t need to compound the effect with precariously tall heels. All that talk of sex and orgasms with Alana had her wound up tighter than a coil. Could this guy be the one to help her get back in the proverbial game?

She didn’t know him from a bar of soap...which was kind of the point. One-night stands didn’t end in betrayal because there were no expectations for tomorrow.

“You’ve got good gamer hands,” he said.

“Really?” She swallowed, curling her fingers into a fist to hide the chipped polish that she hadn’t had time to remove.

“Yeah, I can tell. Those are magic hands.”

She laughed and shook her head, hoping her face didn’t convey the electric thrill he’d given her. How was it possible for her to be so attracted to him so quickly? In the past it had taken her months of chatting to someone online before she would agree to meet and, even then, it would take several dates before she’d be comfortable enough to even fool around. Until she’d dated her ex...

She shuddered. No man had gotten close to her since. But two years had passed; she’d recovered. Moved on. And her libido had definitely returned.

“So tell me, Pink. What do you do for a living?”

Quinn took a swallow of her wine, stalling. She didn’t want to admit she was a lowly IT support officer, especially not when his job was so exciting. But she didn’t want to lie and say she was a tech-security expert, either, because that job wasn’t hers...yet.

“I, uh...” She swirled the wine in her glass. “I’m actually trying to figure out where I’m going.”

“That’s sufficiently vague,” Aiden said, laughing. “I get it. You don’t have any reason to trust me.”

“Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust Leafina, either,” she quipped.

“I’m going to be bold.” He drained the remainder of his wine and handed the glass off to a passing waiter. “I like you, Pink. You’re kind of fascinating.”

“Kind of?” Heat crawled up her cheeks as she looked out at the crowd, her eyes searching for Alana. She wanted to signal to her friend that she was about to make good on her plan.

“Yeah. You’re also kind of hot.” His words smoothed over her like a caress. “Okay, that’s a total lie. You’re insanely hot.”

“And you’re kind of smooth.” Her voice came out far steadier than she’d expected. “I bet that works on a lot of girls.”

“Is that your way of saying it’s not going to work on you?”

The last third of her wine mocked her. She brought the glass to her lips and finished it in one smooth gulp. “I didn’t say that.”

“You want me to work for it?”

“Damn straight.”

His arm snaked around her waist, drawing her closer. “That I can do. How about I take you for a proper drink?”

Could she really do it? Part of her resisted the idea of going for a drink with a man she didn’t know, but her attraction to Aiden sizzled, and no warning bells had sounded thus far.

“I’m a red belt in Tae Kwon Do.” She tilted her head up to him. “And I know a lot of scary people.”

“Pink, I’m not going to do anything that you don’t want me to do. If at any point you decide to call it a night, I will organize a cab and see that you get home safely.” His breath was warm against her neck as he lowered his head. The scent of aftershave and wine mingled in her nostrils. “If you don’t want to leave... I’m more than happy to oblige there, too.”

A delicious shiver ran up the length of her spine. “I’ll take you up on that drink.”

“Do you need to tell Alana where we’re going?”

“I’ll text her.”

Aiden’s hand found the small of her back as he escorted her out of the cocktail party and into the lobby of the hotel. Alana was nowhere to be seen. Her friend would understand, but she texted her anyway.

“Tell her my name is Aiden Odell, room two-thirty-two,” he said. “We’ll be having a drink in the Lion Lounge if she wants to come find you.”

Typing with her thumbs, Quinn sent the details through to Alana. Slipping the phone into her bag, she swallowed down any reservations and allowed Aiden to guide her toward the dimly lit bar on the other side of the hotel lobby.

Two hours later they were sitting on a leather sofa, surrounded by soft lighting designed for intimacy. They were also several Scotches down and in midargument about who was a more avid gamer.

“I got my first console at six years old,” Quinn said, gesturing with her glass, the last bit of liquid swishing precariously up the side. “I’ve kept every single one since then.”

“Console collecting does not make you a master gamer.” Aiden shook his head, his dark curls looking slightly wild and out of control.

Her fingers ached to run through them, to tug them until his head was right where she wanted it. “If you had one in your hotel room, I would prove to you right now that I could kick your ass in any game.”

“That’s a bold statement, Pink.” He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs, nursing a crystal tumbler in both hands. “But it’s complete crap.”

“It is not!” She pursed her lips and tried to be mad. But truth was, she loved the banter and the fact that he challenged her. Most male gamers wouldn’t even bother; they’d assume she wasn’t their equal and move on.

“It is.” He rolled the glass between his hands, warming the last of his drink. “Because if I took you up to my room, the only thing you’d be playing would be me.”

Her sex clenched and she pressed her thighs together, failing to dull the throbbing. “How can you be certain I’m not going to thank you for the drinks and then leave?”

“I can’t.” He grinned, a wicked glint lighting up his vibrant eyes. “But if you’re half as attracted to me as I am to you...well, then it’s going to be fun.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

He leaned back in his seat, finished off his drink and set it down on the mirror-finish table in front of them. “So fill me in. You don’t have to tell me your name or what you do. Or anything serious.”

“A random fact, then?”

“Yeah, something you think other people wouldn’t care about.” He rolled up the sleeves of his cotton shirt, exposing arms smattered with dark hair.

His denim-clad thigh sat inches from hers, and heat pulsed between them. Over the past couple of hours, she’d kept her space and he hadn’t pushed, hadn’t tried to make a direct move. But his words and actions were heavy with intent, each naughty suggestion pushing her further and further toward deciding to go upstairs with him.

“I’m an only child,” she said, figuring that such a benign detail was probably safe to share. “And I prefer it that way.”

“You never wanted a brother or a sister?”

“I don’t like sharing my toys.” She laughed. “I do things my way, on my terms.”

“Yeah, I got that impression.” His eye raked over her. “I have a brother and a sister.”

The darkness in his tone made her pause, but the friendly smile sprang back into place. “So how do you know Alana? Are you a tech reporter, too?”

She shook her head. “We went to school together. When she started her site, I offered to review games for her.”

“I bet she gets a lot of inside information.”

“Yeah, she does. Lots of companies send her prerelease stuff, and she’s always getting invited to parties like this.” Quinn smirked. “Then she drags me along and bails when a story comes up.”

Aiden paused and took a swig of his Scotch. “I’m surprised she’s not looking into the game engine Third Planet is building. There’s been a lot of buzz about that lately.”

Game engine? “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

“Really?” He cocked his head. “Apparently, it’s going to revolutionize the way games are designed.”

“I guess she would be interested in that.”

A dimple formed in his cheek as he smiled. “Okay, that’s enough nerd talk from me.”

“Don’t stop on my account.” She held up a hand and laughed. “I’m all for nerd talk.”

“What if I want to talk about you?” His eyes raked over her, hot and steady, lighting a path from her cheeks straight down to her sex.

“I don’t really enjoy talking about myself. Call it a lesson learned.”

His lips pressed into a line. “Sounds like you’ve got a bad story there.”

Was he genuinely concerned? Probably not. After all, they didn’t really know each other. She hadn’t told him her real name, where she worked or lived...but those were her rules. A one-night stand would be fine because she could call it quits when she wanted, and Aiden couldn’t come after her if he didn’t have her name.

“I’m a big girl. I can look after myself.” She squared her shoulders. “So, two siblings, huh?”

“Yeah, but I’m not good at sharing, either.”

“Maybe we won’t be compatible, then,” she said with mock seriousness. “We both hate sharing. We’re both competitive.”

“I’ve always found competition to be a healthy thing.” The words came out rough, low.

“Even where sex is concerned?” She bit her lip.

“Especially where sex is concerned.” His arms slid along the back of the sofa, and Quinn scooted closer to him until their knees were touching.

“I’m going to be bold,” she said, echoing his words from earlier. “I like you. You’re kind of fascinating.”

“Kind of?” he asked as his head dipped, his lips inches from hers.

“Yeah, kind of.”

They both hovered for a moment, drawing out the sizzling anticipation before he slanted his mouth over hers, claiming her. He tasted of Scotch and smelled of heaven and temptation. A tremor ran through her body as his tongue met hers, gentler than she expected. Teasing. Inviting.

Scorching heat seared her from the inside out, melting her into his embrace. His hand slid up her neck to cup her jaw. Then he tilted her head back, deepening their kiss. Even though they’d never kissed before, he moved as if he knew her. As if he understood her.

Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. His hot breath whispered across her skin as he trailed kisses along her jaw, stopping at the shell of her ear.

“Yes,” she said, her breath stuttering in and out. “My answer is yes.”

“I didn’t ask anything.” The corner of his mouth quirked.

“Your kiss did.” She released his shirt and stood, holding her hand out to him.

* * *

AIDEN HELD PINK close to his body as they walked through the hotel lobby and into the bay of elevators. She interlaced her fingers with his, her small hand gripping him tightly. He couldn’t remember the last time any kiss had made him feel this much anticipation.

Guilt churned in his gut that he hadn’t been completely honest with her. He didn’t have a problem with lying on the job—it was often a requirement, in fact—but this wasn’t work. And she wasn’t an asset or a suspect. Judging by the blank stare she’d given him when he’d asked about the gaming engine, she didn’t know anything. So taking her up to his room was purely personal, and he wanted to make that clear.

The elevator dinged and they filed in behind two other couples. Keeping himself from touching her was torture, especially when Pink leaned back against him, her sweet behind fitting directly against his crotch.

Stifling a groan, he thrust his hips slightly to press into her.

She looked over her shoulder, a sly smile on her lips. “Competitive and impatient.”

“I never said I was perfect.”

Mercifully, the elevator stopped and they were first out. Laughter filtered into the hallway from one of the rooms, mixing with the soothing classical music playing through the hotel speakers. The whole scene was calm and in complete contradiction to the arousal raging inside him.

“Hey, there’s something I should tell you,” he said as they walked hand in hand down the corridor toward his hotel room.

“You’re not married, are you?” Their steps were muffled by the plush carpeting. “Or a serial killer?”

“No,” he said with a laugh. “But I’m—”

“I don’t want to know.” They stopped outside his hotel room door and she held up a hand. “So long as you’re not cheating on anyone by being with me and you have no intention of hurting me, I don’t care about the rest.”

He hesitated and uncertainty flickered in her eyes. “We’re fine on both counts. You have my word.”

“Good. Because we’re both aware what this is, and we don’t need to be coy about it.” Her voice wavered but he wasn’t about to call her out on it. “It’s sex. I don’t need any more detail than that.”

As much as he would have preferred to come clean there and then, she’d made her case. If she only wanted sex, then that was fine by him. More than fine, in fact.

“Fair enough.” He swiped the key card and pushed open the door.

It wasn’t a fancy suite—playing the role of a lowly tech employee meant skipping on the extravagant hotel room—but the large king-size bed would be more than enough. Not to mention the double shower that had been a pleasant surprise when he’d checked in.

He imagined Pink with water streaming over her naked body, and the picture was enough to make whatever blood was left in his head rush south. His cock strained painfully against his fly.

“We can still stop at any time if you’re not comfortable,” he said as she surveyed the room, an unreadable expression on her face.

As desperate as he was to touch her, he needed to hear her say she was in.

“I’m comfortable.” She nodded, stepping toward him. A shy smile played on her lips. “But I’d be more comfortable if you got me out of this dress.”

“I can definitely help with that.” He grabbed her hand and planted a soft kiss on her lips before turning her around. A gold zipper ran from between her shoulder blades to the sweet curve above her ass. She reached around to sweep her long hair over one shoulder, exposing the delicate line of her neck. His lips gravitated to the spot, as if pulled by a magnetic force. The scent of her creamy skin—soapy and clean—teased him as his hands smoothed down the lengths of her arms.

A shudder ran through her and goose bumps rippled across her skin as he gently scraped his teeth along her shoulder. He tugged on her zipper, drawing it down with deliberate slowness. One didn’t rush a decadent dessert; you savored each and every bite.

And that was exactly what he intended to do with Pink.

The V of bare skin deepened, and soon it was obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Lord help him, this woman was hot enough to start a wildfire.

“You still breathing back there?” she asked, her tone dancing with laughter.

“Just admiring the view.” He pushed the dress from her body and it slid to the floor.

She stepped out of the puddle of fabric, kicking it to the side. Bright pink panties barely covered the gentle curves of her ass and hips.

“Are those ninjas on your underwear?” he asked, spinning her around.

“They might be.” She ran her palms up the front of his chest until they curled over his shoulders, pressing him down. “Perhaps you should take a closer inspection.”

He kissed his way down her stomach until he was on his knees, his lips at the waistband of her panties. “Hmm, they do appear to have ninjas on them. You know what this means, right?”

Her nails dragged against his scalp as she threaded her fingers through his hair. “What?”

“They’re likely to disappear any second.” Hooking a finger under the elastic band, he tugged the fabric down.

Pink-colored cotton pooled at her feet, the bright shade a sharp contrast to the high gloss of her black leather pumps. Holy. Hell.

He planted a palm on her thigh to keep her steady as she stepped out of the underwear and then the heels. “See, gone.”

“Like magic.” Her voice was rough and husky, the sound fanning his desire.

He felt pretty damn magical indeed. Taking a gorgeous woman to bed was exactly the antidote he needed for the recent negativity in his life. He’d pour all that pent-up frustration and tension into pleasuring Pink out of her ever-loving mind. If she didn’t scream his name until her voice gave out, then he would consider the night a failure.

“You look so serious,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.

He kissed her hip then smoothed his palm up the inside of her thigh as if he could use his touch to commit her dimensions to memory. Everything about her was delicate, and yet she had an inner strength and conviction that he found utterly irresistible. This was a woman who did things on her own terms.

“That’s because I’m seriously hot for you.” He pressed his lips to her sex in a gentle kiss—a prelude to what he intended to do next.

She gasped and tightened her grip on his hair, flipping on every damn switch in his body. His cock twitched in his pants.

“Hmm...” The sound washed over him from above. “Really?”

Her tone might have been playful, but he was serious as all hell. “Absolutely.”

He ran his tongue up the seam of her sex, parting her folds until he found the swollen bud of her clit. Gripping her thigh with one hand, he used his thumb to part her, giving him the access he wanted.

“Oh, Aiden.”

Hearing his name drove him on. He lapped at her with his tongue, insistent, demanding.

All sense of restraint and slow enjoyment flew out the window as he relentlessly pursued her orgasm. Drawing her clit between his lips, he flicked it with his tongue and tremors racked her body.

“I can’t... I can’t...”

“Yes.” He punctuated his words with hot kisses. “You. Can.”

Her thighs trembled in his grasp, her hips tilting forward as she rubbed herself shamelessly against his mouth.

“I’m close,” she gasped.

He parted her legs and touched his fingers to her sex, sliding one digit slowly inside. A shudder ran through her body, and a string of incoherent words dissolved into a moan as she tipped over the edge, her sex pulsing against his lips.

Her cries bounced off the hotel room walls and she sagged forward, her knees hitting his chest. He gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

A sigh escaped her lips as she lolled her head back against his biceps, her eyes fluttering. “If you’d told me you could do that with your mouth, I might not have made you work so hard to get me up here.”

“I wasn’t going to bribe you with orgasms.”

“You should have.” A blissful smile pulled at her lips. “We wasted two hours drinking.”

“How about we make up for it now?” he suggested, one knee sinking into the mattress as he lowered her to the bed.

“I don’t have time for your rhetorical questions.” A laugh rumbled in her throat and she reached up, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him down roughly. “Come here.”

QUINN CLOSED HER eyes as Aiden came down over her, his weight pressing her into the soft mattress. It was like being trapped between a fluffy cloud and a god. A sex god, if that orgasm was anything to go on.

Her body hummed, hovering in some crazy limbo between roaring hunger and total satisfaction. It had been a while since she’d come that hard, and his mouth was so, so, so much better than her trusty vibrator.

Cupping the back of her head, he slid his tongue across her lips, opening her. Allowing her to taste herself.

She moaned into him and heat fanned out across her chest as he moved down her body. There was something graceful about his movement, something sleek and elegant and primal. He captured a nipple with his lips and sucked. Hard.

“Oh.” Words escaped her as he laved her breast, tugging, licking, worshipping.

“What do you want, Pink?”

“I want... Ahhhhh.”

Colors danced behind her closed eyelids as he pushed his hips against hers, his length rubbing over her still-sensitive sex. Denim rasped over her soft skin, the steely hardness making her pulse race.

“Say it,” he growled against her breast, his teeth working her into a frenzy. “Tell me.”

“I want you inside me,” she gasped.

“No.”

Her head snapped up, eyes unblinking. If she didn’t have him now, she might explode... At the very least she’d wear her vibrator out trying to make up for not having him. “What do you mean?”

“I still don’t know your name.” He released his grip, bringing his head up to lock that electric gaze straight on her.

“I’m Pink,” she stammered, the haze of excitement fogging her mind.

“Your real name.” A dark curl fell over his forehead and he brushed it aside.

“What does it matter?” She pushed herself up and reached for the top button of his shirt. “It won’t change how incredible this is going to be.”

“I remember the name of every girl I’ve ever slept with, and if this is going to be as incredible as I think it will be...” He paused.

Flattening her palms against his chest, she pushed him back until he sat on his heels. “Yes?”

“I want to know what name to moan in your ear when I’m inside you.”

Quinn’s hands trembled as she undid the buttons on his shirt. Dark hair dusted his chest, tapering to a V down the hard plane of his stomach and dipping below the waistband of his jeans.

She sucked in a breath and tried to steady herself. She never lost her wits, ever. Aiden, however, was doing crazy things to her. Crazy, astoundingly pleasurable things.

“It’s Quinn,” she said, her hands working at the button on his fly.

He placed his hand over hers, warm and reassuring. “Quinn.”

“Are you going to tell me it’s a beautiful name?” she quipped, sarcasm her natural and comfortable shield.

“I doubt saying the expected thing would win me any favors with you.” He moved her hand away and stood, dragging the zipper on his fly down.

“It wouldn’t.”

As he stripped himself of his jeans and briefs, Quinn couldn’t help but stare. She knew more than anyone that computer geeks didn’t always fit into the stereotypes or clichés. But she hadn’t expected Aiden to be so...powerful.

Muscular thighs met trim hips, the hard jut of his cock making her blood fizz. God, she wanted him like nothing else.

“Wow,” she whispered.

His eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Thanks for the ego boost.”

Heat flared through her, filling her neck and cheeks. “I mean...uh...”

“You can stop at wow.” He brushed the hair from her face. “I’m definitely okay with that.”

She touched her fingers to the tip of him, hesitating before wrapping them around his shaft. He made a guttural noise at the back of his throat that urged her on. She slid her hand up and down, stroking him.

“Quinn,” he moaned and pushed his hips forward into her grip. “That’s so damn good.”

Emboldened by his praise, she parted her lips and leaned forward, drawing him into her mouth. The head of his cock slid along her tongue and she tasted a faint saltiness. Eyes closed, she bobbed her head down as far as she could go.

At the same time she ran her hand up and down his thigh, his hairs tickling her palm. The scent of earthy maleness danced in her nose.

“That’s enough.” His voice came out strangled. Edgy.

She eased him out of her mouth and swirled her tongue over the tip of him. “What if I’m not ready to stop?”

He grunted, sweeping the hair over her shoulder and easing her back. “I’m not going to last more than five seconds if you keep that up.”

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