Her hair fell into her face, and she instantly pushed it back, exposing both shoulders. Shoulders and a collarbone that showed the tan line of a thin bikini strap.
Damn it, that was sexy.
“One drink should hopefully get me over this jet lag,” she said.
“Let me guess …” My words were only an excuse for me to stare harder, acting as though I could see through her. “Europe?”
Her smile was sensual, beautiful. “London … how did you know?”
“Call me intuitive.”
“Ohhh, then you already know I only just got back this afternoon.”
“Of course I do. But keep talking.”
She laughed. “I was there this time for three months, so to be honest, I’m not sure if it’s today or tomorrow or if my feet are on the ground or still in the air.” She sucked in a mouthful of air. “But your eyes are telling me I’m very much here …”
“You’re here.” I ran my thumb over my lips, wishing they were covered in her scent. “And this isn’t a dream … even if it feels like one.”
First, she gave me a smile, then a slow bite of her bottom lip.
“Your espresso martini,” the bartender said, placing her drink on the counter.
She reached for it and held it in her hands, her eyes returning to me.
“So, you land in LA and head straight for a bar. I like your style.”
She pointed toward a group of girls who were only feet away. “It’s my best friend’s fault. I’ve been gone for the last several years—not just in Europe, but all over. She dragged me out with some other friends to celebrate my return.”
“A wise decision on your friend’s part.” My stare dipped once more. “You landed in the right place.”
A redness moved across her cheeks that even lowered to her chest.
She said nothing for several seconds, finally voicing, “I’m Sydney.” Her fingers extended.
I clasped her soft skin in my hand. “Ford.”
“Your whiskey, neat,” the bartender said.
Our hands separated, and I clasped my drink and held it in front of hers. “To accidental encounters, Sydney.”
Her teeth pierced her lower lip again. “I like that. Cheers.”
“A
re you following me?” I said to the delicious man at my side as we attempted to part from the bar.
Except, apparently, we were going in the same direction, his pace matching mine, our arms almost close enough to touch.
The last few minutes I’d spent with him was a blur of tingles and pulses.
Even now, just walking next to him, I wobbled in my heels, simply from his smile and presence.
I didn’t know where he had come from, but, my God, I was overtaken by him.
By his handsomeness.
His charm.
His eyes that felt like they could penetrate right through my skin.
“Only if you want me to,” he replied, his stare backing up his offer, one that was strong enough to make me shudder. He pointed in the direction where we were headed and added, “My friends and family are over there.”
I followed his finger to where a group of guys, dressed similar to Ford, took up two tables in the back. And of course, the next table over was where my girls sat.
“So are my girlfriends,” I told him. “Looks like we’re going to be neighbors.”
We reached the back of the bar, and he said, “Let me know when you’re ready for a refill, Sydney.”
He gave me a final look, one that felt like a wave, starting at the top of my head, swishing all the way to my feet, and then he took a seat.
I hurried over to Gabby, where there was an empty chair next to her.
“Um, hello? Who was that hottie you were just talking to?” she asked the second I sat.
“Shh,” I whispered. “I don’t want him to hear you.”
“You do realize we’re in the middle of a bar? And the music is loud? And he’s surrounded by a ton of friends? I’m positive he can’t hear us.”
“And he’s less than three feet away—yes, I realize all of that.”
Because even though three feet separated us, I felt like he was still in front of me, his stare owning me.
Little sparks moved through my body, like I was plugged into an outlet.
“Fine, I’ll whisper,” she said, only slightly softer than before. “Again, who is that hottie?”
Gabby and I had been best friends since high school, and now, we were roommates. She was also the main culprit for dragging me out, which was exactly how it had looked when she pulled me off the couch and forced me into this dress.
Who is he?
Sigh.
“An accidental encounter.” My heart sped up as I said those words—his words. Ones that were so perfect that my pulse continued to rise. “I cut him off in line at the bar. I hadn’t meant to, but I can’t lie; I’m almost glad I did. That man is whoa. Whoa on just every level.”
“Agreed, girl, but daaamn, I can’t figure out why you’re here when you should be three feet over there, sitting on his lap.”
I stole a quick glance in his direction. His profile faced me, giving me a view of that incredibly sexy beard and those full lips and that square jaw and those broad, muscular shoulders.
My God.
He must have felt my gaze because he turned toward me, causing me to look away before I got caught.
I did everything in my power to keep my eyes on Gabs while I said, “We met. We exchanged names. He bought me a drink.” I took a deep breath. “That’s it, nothing more. Definitely no lap sitting.”
Sadly.
But just like I wasn’t the girl who would rudely cut ahead of him, I also wasn’t the kind to straddle him in the middle of a bar.
And even if I was feeling aggressively out of character, I was in no position to straddle anything other than dreamland tonight.
I hadn’t even been back in LA for twelve hours. My clothes still hadn’t arrived from the boxes I’d shipped, and I currently didn’t even have a bed. I would be sleeping with Gabby or on the couch for the foreseeable future.
“Well, I have to disagree,” she said. “It looked like he was about to ravish you.” She waved her hand in front of her face, like she was hot. “The chemistry, girl. Oh my God, the chemistry.”
I sipped my martini. “Really?”
“His eyes were on the verge of knocking you up.”
I laughed. My best friend was so over the top sometimes. “Ford is extra swoony—I can’t deny that. But I assure you, the only thing growing inside me is a heavy case of jet lag and a wicked need to take off these heels and find myself a pillow.”“His pillow.” She put her arm around my shoulders and turned me toward him, saying in my ear, “Even his name is sexy.”My eyes briefly closed. “I know.”“Do you know what I see when I look at him?”“I can’t wait to hear this.”She squeezed my shoulder. “Handcuffs. Dirty sex. Waking up in the morning with his face between your legs.” She lowered her voice, finally whispering, “That man has dominance written all over him.”I wondered if she could sense how sweaty I was getting.How it only added to the hotness Ford had already built.“You can tell that just by looking at him?”“I possess that talent. You should know this by now.”I’d only seen my best friend a handful of times over the last four years. All of our conversations had taken place ove
The combination of the martini and shots was slowly dropping my inhibitions, especially as I glanced toward Gabby, who had moved to the other side of the table, closer to Natasha and Carrie, her facial expression urging me on.“I don’t know.” I glanced down; all of this was too much. “I guess I like the way you sound.”“My voice?”I nodded as I was fixed on him again. “Yes.”“No one’s ever commented on that before.”I took a drink even though I didn’t need it. “It matches you—I mean, it fits your face, your …” I couldn’t think of what I wanted to say. Nothing was coming to me. I didn’t even feel like I was breathing. “Exterior.”The corner of his lips lifted, a half-smile so devilishly attractive. “Exterior, huh?”“If power had a sound, it’s you.”He was sitting between both tables but chose to lean his elbow on the one closest to me. “My voice isn’t where I hold my power, Sydney. At least, not in my personal life. But I’ll tell you, it wasn’t a bad guess.”My brain was spiraling.My
“What I’m thinking about is your mouth.” He ran his thumb over my bottom lip and then the top. “What it would taste like. What it would feel like.” His gaze was there, on the spot he was speaking about, making those same lips part. “And I don’t know how much longer I can wait to find out.”ThreeFord“You want to kiss me”—her voice was soft, breathless—“in the middle of the bar?”With my hand still on her cheek, I aimed her mouth up to mine. “It’s not just that I want to.” I lowered my face until we were only inches apart. “It’s that I have to.” The feeling inside me was so brutally overwhelming that I couldn’t leave this bar until I had her taste on my tongue. Until I was satisfied with the feel of her lips. That was why I’d moved my seat next to hers. To have this moment between us, to re-create the fire that I’d felt before. “If you don’t want this, Sydney, tell me to stop.”I waited.And just as I was about to close the space between us, she whispered, “Ford …” She swallowed. “I
“Even if I was going to consider it—which I’m not—Hannah and Everly are at my house. It’s not like Eve is staying at Mom and Dad’s for the night and I’m free.”“More Hannah talk,” Declan groaned. “I still can’t believe you let her watch your daughter.”“Ignore him,” Jenner said, referring to Declan. “Everly is being well taken care of tonight, so you do have all the freedom to do whatever you want—and I know that girl is exactly what you want.”“You guys don’t get it,” I told them. “This is one of the sacrifices you have to make when you have a kid, and being a single dad makes it even harder. I’m responsible for that little girl, and every move I make affects her.” I looked at my brothers. “When you guys were single, you could fuck whomever you wanted and never feel guilty about it. You could jump on a plane and leave at any time. You could stay out all night and not give a shit.” I chomped on the ice from Dominick’s glass and set the empty on the table. “My life isn’t like that.”“B
She quickly glanced at me. “We can’t go to my apartment.”“We … can’t?”She shook her head. “I just moved here, like, hours ago, remember? I don’t have a bed yet, so I’m going to be sleeping with Gabby. I can’t kick her out and have her crash on the couch. That would make me the worst bestie ever.”Fuck me.That wrecked every one of my plans.“Can’t we go to your place?” she asked.My place—a detail I didn’t want to get into.I glanced out the window, trying to come up with a plan.I could take her to a hotel; I just didn’t know how that idea would come across. I could sneak us into Dominick’s guesthouse, but Kendall was probably home, and I didn’t want to alarm her.“Sydney—” My voice cut off as our eyes connected.The hunger, the need. I didn’t know if I was gazing at my own reflection in her stare or if she felt the same way as me.Either way, I hauled her body up against me and kissed her. The warmth from her mouth, the taste of her tongue, like silent promises of what was waiting
Fuck me.I backed up a few inches, needing to take in this view.“Man”—I shook my head—“I’m one lucky motherfucker.”The dress had looked exquisite on her, but what was underneath was even better. Sydney in just her skin was a whole different level of sexy. All curves and dips and muscle. The gap between her thighs just as pronounced as I’d dreamed about at the bar.My stare dipped to her feet and slowly rose, and I moaned, “Magnificent,” as I reached her face.“You’re too much.”“Nah.” I paused, my cock fucking throbbing. “My words barely do you justice.”A flushness moved across her cheeks as she said, “Get over here.”Once I was within reach, she began to unbutton my shirt, working her way down my chest. My sports coat and shirt dropped at the same time. She didn’t stop until the only thing covering me was my boxer briefs. That was when her movements slowed, peeling the shorts down my legs until they fell.“Good God,” she whispered, gradually looking down, viewing my chest, abs. La
My cock teased her as I moved the tip around her opening. “Look at me.” I waited until she glanced over her shoulder before I gave her my crown. Just the head, nothing more. “You’re going to come again, Sydney.”“I’ve never …”She’s never had two orgasms in one night?“I’m going to change that.”I rocked my hips forward, giving her my entire shaft. She was closing in on me, tightening.“But if you keep feeling that good, you’re going to make me come.”She began to meet me in the middle, arching her hips up, adding pressure to my cock.“You like this position, don’t you?” I growled.“Yesss.”I could guess why.From here, I could reach even deeper.I could rub her clit at the same time, like I was doing now, and hit her G-spot.And every time I brushed across it, she gave me a reward.Her sounds.Fuck me, it was like music.My head leaned back as my balls tightened, and her hips began to buck against me.“Fuck, Sydney, you’re getting me far too close.”She glanced over her shoulder agai
How could only the lightest graze of his fingers, the subtlest exhale of his air cause me to quiver?But I did.In the last four years, I hadn’t had the time to explore the possibility of dating. Even if the opportunity had presented itself, I would have been in no position to act on it, far too tied up with my job.Back in LA for less than twenty-four hours, and this had already happened.Blanketed by this incredible man’s heat.As I stared at his face, I couldn’t help but wonder where this was going to take me and what this was going to look like.So many unknowns.What I did know was that I needed to fill myself with caffeine, or he would open his eyes to a side of me that was wickedly devilish.He was far too adorable to wake up, so I carefully lifted his arm a few inches and squeezed my way out, sneaking soundlessly off his bed.Rather than putting my dress on, I found his button-down on the floor and slipped my arms through the large holes, buttoning the middle as I tiptoed to h