Naughty or Nice? Read online

  And if her footwork was any indication, she wanted the same thing. She’d obviously let her elf boots fall to the floor and she’d brushed her foot against his leg once too many times for comfort or accident. The light flush in her cheeks and her inability to look him head-on told him she didn’t find her overt moves easy. But he was grateful for her interest and he intended to keep things light and fun—to give her space to decide how far she wanted to take things, knowing he wouldn’t accept just tonight. It would be her decision to stay or go, no matter how much his body throbbed with growing need.

  Conversation became more difficult as she intentionally massaged his calf with the arch of her foot, inching upward beneath the table.

  He leaned closer. “You’re a naughty girl, Toni.” He captured her foot between his legs, stilling her arousing movements.

  It was either stop her or let her continue her upward climb, in which case their evening would end before it ever began. And with the bar empty and Jake gone, Max would much rather start their time together fresh and new.

  “Being naughty’s the whole point, Max.”

  “You sound like a woman with a plan.” He paused, thinking of their unusual meeting. “And it started with that kiss.”

  “You’re astute. No wonder they call you detective.” Her lips lifted in a smile. “I already told you I acted on opportunity.”

  “In a way that was out of character.” Max was as certain Toni wanted him as he was that she had a bad case of nerves.

  “And you know this how?” She drummed her fingertips on the table, trying hard to maintain her nonchalant façade.

  Max grinned. “Gut instinct.”

  Toni inclined her head. Not only did he understand her well but he seemed to see inside her, too. Her aggressive act was just that, but in no way did that minimize how badly she wanted this night.

  He stopped her nervous tapping and threaded his fingers through hers. “Relax, sweetheart.”

  The softly spoken endearment wrapped around her heart and her adrenaline picked up speed. “You really think that’s possible?”

  He shrugged. “I know so. We’re going to get to know each other better. We’ll have fun. And nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen. So relax and come with me.”

  She’d follow him anywhere, Toni thought. And despite the fact that she’d never done anything that resembled a one-night stand before, she wanted everything to happen. She just needed to gather her nerve. Her hand entwined with his, she let him lead her around the bar and into a back room she hadn’t seen earlier because of the crowds.

  In the corner, beside the rack holding the pool cues, a Christmas tree took up a lot of space in the small room. The tree beckoned to her, with its worn ornaments, aged by time and handling, hanging from its branches. Though it wasn’t professionally decorated with pricey ornaments like the one in the office, this Christmas display showed thoughtfulness, warmth, and caring.

  She reached out and lightly fingered a cut-out teddy bear hanging from a crudely bent pipe cleaner. “This is so sweet.”

  Max came up behind her. His body heat and masculine scent put her nerve endings on high alert.

  “Jake’s daughter made it her first year in kindergarten,” he said.

  “And this one?” With a trembling hand, she pointed to a clay angel, made with obvious talent and love.

  “A customer.” Max’s warm breath fanned her ear. “Jake could tell you who gave him each one.”

  Toni nodded, impressed. “And what was your contribution?”

  “What makes you so sure I made one?”

  “Intuition.” The man would put his mark on everything in his life, she thought. Including herself.

  “Smart woman. I supply the tree each year.”

  Toni turned to find him very close and what little composure remained nearly shattered beneath his steamy gaze.

  “Ever play pool?” he asked, changing the subject.

  Toni’s shoulders lowered and she smiled, feeling on safer ground. “Too many times to count.”

  “Then we don’t need lessons.” He grabbed her hand and strode the few steps to the pool table. Wrapping his hands around her waist, he lifted her onto the lacquered edge.

  She licked her lips, wondering why she’d deluded herself into an illusion of safety. Around Max, she was constantly off balance, desire never far away. “No lessons,” she agreed, wondering what would come next.

  “Then how about we play each other? For intriguing stakes.” His deep eyes bored into hers.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “It’s called getting to know you. For every ball I miss, I admit something about myself. Something deep and personal or . . . something I desire.” His voice deepened to a husky drawl.

  She tried to swallow but her mouth had grown dry. “And if you get the ball into the pocket?”

  She watched the pulse beat in his neck, and acting on impulse, she pressed a light kiss against his skin. He let out a low growl. “If I make my shot, you remove an article of clothing. Same rules apply for you. What do you say?”

  Arousal beat a heavy rhythm in her veins. Naughty or nice, Toni thought. Did she have the nerve to participate in his game? To take their night to its ultimate conclusion?

  Under ordinary circumstances, probably not. But nothing about Max or her growing feelings for him was typical—or easy. However, her pool game had never been a problem—not since she’d waitressed in college and learned from the best. “I say why not?”

  He handed her a cue, then proceeded to set up the table. “Do you want to break or should I?”

  “I’ll do it.” Toni figured it was a win-win situation. Either she revealed something about herself or he revealed a bare body part—either way she wouldn’t be the one overexposed.

  Max stepped back, leaning on his cue as Toni lined up her shot. The one thing he’d forgotten when suggesting this game was her skimpy outfit—and if the thought of their rules had him hot and bothered, the reality of watching her bent over the table inspired erotic images to rival his steamiest daydream.

  “You do realize the lighter the stick the farther the follow-through,” she said.

  “It’s also been said a heavier stick gives you more power,” Max replied but he wasn’t concentrating.

  The white fur trim of her skirt had lifted a notch, revealing thigh-high stockings and an enticing glimpse of the pale skin peeking above the elastic lace trim. The sudden rise in heat owed nothing to room temperature and everything to his sexy elf. His fingers itched to cup her soft flesh and his body begged to be cradled in her feminine heat.

  The sudden crack of the stick hitting the cue ball broke his train of thought and echoed in the otherwise silent room. Still in a sweat, Max forced himself to focus on the game in time to see a flash of color and a ball ease into the corner pocket. “I’m impressed.”

  She straightened and grinned, looking pleased with herself. “One lesson I learned early in life was to never agree to a game I couldn’t win.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He reached for the bottom of his shirt and yanked it over his head, grateful for her decent shot and the opportunity to cool off.

  Her lashes fluttered quickly and her eyes opened wide as she stared at his bare chest.

  “What’s wrong? Did you forget the rules?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Of course not.” Appearing more flustered than before, she settled in for the next round of play. But this time her hands shook and Max knew for sure his lack of clothing had rattled her. At least now they were on equal footing, he thought, taking in the seductive wiggle of her behind as she lined up her shot.

  Sure enough, the next ball went shimmying toward the back wall, missing the pocket. “Sorry, sweetheart. Confession time.”

  She turned toward him, eyes big and imploring, a pout on her lips.

  He shook his head. “No poor-me look is going to sway me, now spill.” He paused, thinking of her alternatives. “Or you cou
ld always opt to speed the game along and remove an item of clothing.”

  “My sweet sixteen was my worst birthday,” she said quickly, obviously making her choice.

  He suppressed a laugh. “What happened?” He stepped closer, wishing she’d taken him up on his alternative offer.

  “My dog ran away.”

  “I’m not buying that.” He folded his arms across his chest, gratified when her eyes followed the movement. “But I am listening.”

  Her arm brushed his and she didn’t break contact as she said, “My father died suddenly, the day before I turned sixteen.”

  Max breathed in deeply. A punch in the gut would have been more gentle, but it was his own fault. He’d suggested they reveal something deep and personal, and she had. She trusted him, showing it far more than if she’d removed her clothes.

  “What happened?” he asked softly. Though she couldn’t have any fond memories of the man, losing a parent couldn’t be easy. “Heart attack?”

  She nodded. “And instead of grief, I felt nothing but relief.” The strain in her face and the guilt in her eyes were obvious. “And here I thought my shooting first would leave you more exposed.” She shook her head and treated him to a brief smile. “Your turn.” She gestured to the cue.

  Max swallowed hard. Had he really thought this would be light and easy?

  “Okay.” Still shaken, he bent over the table and took in his options before lining up his shot, missing the pocket by too much.

  He felt her light touch as she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to find her in his personal space, within kissing distance. He reached for her shoulders and held on.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered, calling him on his deliberately missed shot. An easier play had sat by the corner pocket but he’d chosen to forfeit instead.

  “No, I didn’t. But I wanted to.” He’d had two choices. Open a vein and exchange information or watch her peel off the clingy green suit.

  No matter how much he’d rather see her undress, he owed her and had to reveal a personal secret. She’d opened up to him tonight. Twice. If his goal was getting closer, he had to return the favor. Besides, he wanted to let her in. For the first time, he wanted to connect with a woman in more places than in bed. He’d proven himself adept at making selfish choices in life, Max thought, but not when it came to Toni. She was too special.

  Gratitude flickered in her eyes and she waited in silence for him to pay up. He wasn’t comfortable and hated like hell for having put himself in this position, but he supposed that spoke of Toni’s effect on him. “My father resents me for leaving the business and I’ve never measured up to Stephan as Dad’s favorite son.” He tensed, having admitted his deepest vulnerability and laid it out there for her to see.

  Her gaze softened. “Your father’s a fool, and if you repeat a word of that to my boss, you’ll pay in spades,” she said, then wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

  Her lips lingered over his and as his chest rasped against her fur-lined V-neck, he needed more than a simple kiss. He fumbled for her zipper, the one that would allow him to peel off the outfit and bare her for him to see. But she pulled back before he could get a decent grasp and he groaned.

  “Your last miss didn’t count,” she said in a husky voice. “Now play pool.”

  He wagged a finger in the air. “Like I said, naughty girl.”

  “What fun is it if you don’t have to work for it?”

  “Trust me, sweetheart, it’d be plenty fun. But if you insist, I’ll take another turn.” Having laid his soul bare, he knew it was time to turn up the heat. “But before I make this next shot . . .”

  “You’re too confident about your gaming abilities,” she said, interrupting him.

  “Aren’t you the one who said never play a game you can’t win? But if at any point you change your mind . . .”

  She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have let you drive all the way out here if I wasn’t sure.”

  He let out a slow breath of air that did little to help his rapidly beating heart. “Just remember, it’s your choice.”

  She looked at him in a way no one—no woman—had ever looked at him before, with just the right mixture of trust, reverence, and desire to make a man fall to his knees.

  “You’re a nice guy, Max.”

  He’d never been called nice before and he knew his actions tonight were as unique as she was. “You’re pretty damn special yourself.” He leaned over the table and easily made his next shot, then walked a few steps to line up the next. “But something tells me you won’t be thinking such great thoughts about me after this,” he said, sinking another ball as he spoke, then his third before shifting her way.

  He focused on her and his breath caught in his throat. She’d left her shoes under the table in the other room and Max hadn’t realized how little remained—the shirt, skirt, and belt, all three items she’d discarded while he was upping the ante and making his shots.

  She faced him now, his most erotic dream come to life. Her clothes lay in a pile beside her. Her black hair, tousled and full, caressed her shoulders. The body he’d glimpsed through the barrier of clothing and imagined in his mind had nothing on reality. A black lace bra cut in a deep V contrasted with and revealed creamy white mounds of flesh, while a whisper-light-looking bikini barely covered her feminine secrets.

  She met his gaze and shrugged, a deep blush staining her cheeks and an embarrassed fidget to her stance. “I forgot to mention that when I lose—no matter how unlikely—I always pay up.”

  He edged his finger beneath one delicate bra strap, savoring the feel of her soft flesh beneath his roughened fingertips. “If you consider this a loss, then we have nothing further to—”

  “Shh.” She placed one finger over his lips. “That was a figure of speech.”

  His tongue darted out and he tasted her, a combination of salty skin and female softness. She sucked in a startled breath but she didn’t remove her hand. Instead she traced the outline of his mouth with her fingertip, leaving him incredibly aroused by her touch.

  “The game’s over, Max, and I’d call it even.”

  He grinned. “Win–win.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Taking that as his cue, Max did what he’d been dying to do since he’d laid eyes on her standing beside the Christmas tree—he spanned her bare waist with his hands, curling his fingers around her back and kneading his palms into her skin.

  She let out a low, throaty moan. Need, want, and desire collided as her back arched and her breasts reached toward him, almost as if in supplication. Max didn’t want to deny her.

  And he could no longer deny himself.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  One night. Toni told herself she’d earned one night with this very special man. Then she could hang on to the memories and get on with her busy life. She refused to let herself dwell on what kind of emptiness that life would hold now that she’d known Max.

  He’d settled her on the table and the lacquer felt cool against her hot, fevered skin, making her more aware of her surroundings and what was to come. She spread her thighs and he stepped inside, then bent his head and captured her nipple in his mouth, suckling her through the filmy black lace. His teeth grazed her flesh, then his tongue soothed and white-hot darts of need pulsed inside her. Her reaction was immediate, the pull starting at point of contact and causing intense contractions deep in her belly and down lower.

  “You like that?”

  Her answer came out a low, husky growl.

  “Is that a yes?” He cradled her tender flesh in one hand and treated her other breast to the same lavish attention as the first.

  She squirmed against the hard surface and slick moisture trickled between her legs as warmth and desire exploded inside her. “That’s a yes.”

  He lifted his head and met her gaze. “You like to play.”

  “When it goes both ways.” She raised her hands, placing both palms not just on his bare chest,
but against his nipples.

  Slowly, she raked her nails downward, watching, gratified, as his eyes glazed with heated emotion.

  He groaned aloud. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

  “Oh, I think I can guess.” Because she knew what he did to her. Every nerve ending came to life, raw and exposed, sizzling with live currents of desire.

  “No need to guess when I can show you,” he said, bringing his mouth down hard on hers. Frenzied, his kiss expressed an immediate need to be as close as possible.

  His tongue swept inside the deep recesses of her mouth, mimicking the ultimate act. It wasn’t a joining of bodies in the biblical sense, but another, just as intimate means of climbing toward satisfaction. His strong hands slid from her waist to her thighs and he grazed the tops of her stockings with his thumbs while his fingertips teased the outer edges of her panties. With his whisper-soft and erotically arousing movements, he let her know what he had in store.

  And Toni wanted more. She arched her back and her hips jerked forward, reflexively, searching for his harder, deeper touch. He didn’t deny her. He broke the kiss and concentrated on her need, cupping her feminine mound in his palm. The heat and weight of his hand against her barely covered flesh stirred long-dormant sensations and when he pushed aside the thin lace and dipped his fingers inside her moist, waiting heat, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

  She was hot and aroused, on the brink of falling over a precipice, a tumble she had no desire to take alone. She leaned back to catch her breath, intending to make her desire known and she caught a glimpse of their position. She was barely dressed, her legs spread wide, with Max’s lean body settled between them. She was open and vulnerable, physically as well as emotionally. The intimacy they were sharing struck her as strongly as her rampaging emotions. And when he leaned over, covering her body with his so he could rest his cheek against hers, he found a way closer to her heart.

  She shut her eyes against the wave of emotion she wasn’t ready to deal with and instead wrapped her legs around his waist in a provocative suggestion. “Make love to me, Max.”