One Night of Sin by Elle Kennedy
Her frown swiftly returned. “You two aren’t really painting a picture of a guy who’s interested.”
“With this idiot, that’s exactly what it means.” Reed jerked a thumb at Gage and rolled his eyes. “The less he says, the more interested he is.”
Gage gritted his teeth. “Would you please stop talking about me like I’m not in the room?” He walked over and touched Skyler’s arm. “Let’s go talk somewhere private.”
“Actually, leave the club altogether,” Reed ordered. “Take a walk, see a movie, I don’t care.” His gaze shifted to Skyler. “Just get him out of here.”
“It’s Friday night,” Gage said irritably. “I need to be on the floor.”
“No, you need to be somewhere else. Anywhere else.” Reed sounded just as annoyed. “You’re strung too tight, bro. Snapping at customers, drinking—” He gestured to the beer bottle Gage had forgotten he was holding. “Take the night off, okay? We don’t need a lawsuit on our heads after you snap and rough up the wrong person.”
“We’ll handle it,” AJ said in a firm voice.
The deadly expressions on their faces told him not to argue. Crap. They were right, anyway. He was on edge. And it was only nine o’clock, way too early to already be feeling this way.
Skyler watched him expectantly, a flicker of concern in her eyes. “Gage?”
“Let’s go,” he muttered.
He released her arm, keeping a foot of distance between them as they made their way out of the club and emerged into the same alley where they’d first met.
“I’m sorry for barging in like that,” she said sheepishly.
He nodded. “It’s okay.”
They wandered onto the main street, instantly dodging a group of rowdy young men barreling down the sidewalk. The city’s downtown core was busy as hell on Friday nights, and Gage led Skyler to the edge of the sidewalk so they could avoid the rush of pedestrians. It was dark out, but the streetlamp behind them illuminated Skyler’s face, bringing out the reddish highlights in her chestnut hair.
“I just had to know for sure,” she added.
“Know what?” he said gruffly.
“If this is worth pursuing.” Her hair fell over her shoulder as she slanted her head, and he resisted the urge to stroke the silky brown strands. “Is it?”
He gulped.
Tell her no.
What came out was, “Do you want to catch a movie or something?”
Chapter Seven
Skyler looked downright bewildered by the question, and Gage wasn’t sure he blamed her. He was throwing off a serious case of mixed signals, yet for the life of him, he couldn’t tell her to go. It had been easy to avoid her when all he had in front of him were words in a text message, but when she was standing right in front of him and looking so damn beautiful?
No amount of willpower in the world could force him to walk away.
After several seconds of silence, Skyler smirked at him. “Isn’t that breaking the sex-only rule you enforced?”
“Yes or no,” he said through clenched teeth.
She rolled her eyes. “You are the master of nonanswers, huh?” But she nodded anyway, her expression brightening. “You know what? Let’s do it. I’ve been dying to see that new Stallone movie but nobody has wanted to go with me. My roommates hate action movies, so I always end up seeing them alone.”
She liked action movies? Oh hell. She really was the woman of his dreams.
Skyler checked her phone, an adorable crease forming in her forehead as she scrolled through the listings. “Hey, it starts in thirty minutes. We can totally make it.”
With that, she took off walking, leaving Gage no choice but to trail after her. He couldn’t help but voice the question on his mind. “You don’t mind going to the movies alone? A lot of people are way too embarrassed to do that.”
Her dark ponytail bounced with each step. “Sometimes I prefer it, actually. And it doesn’t embarrass me at all. I don’t mind being alone.”
“Me neither,” he admitted.
“No, I think you prefer it, too.” A thoughtful note crept in. “Were you a loner growing up?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Naah, I ran with a group of guys. We got into a shit-ton of trouble together.”
“Did you grow up in Boston?”
“Southie, born and raised. You?”
“North End growing up, and then Beacon Hill when my mom remarried.”
“Huh. I didn’t take you for a rich girl.”
“I’m not. My stepfather is.”
They sidestepped a trio of giggling teenage girls and continued along at a brisk pace. Skyler didn’t seem to mind walking, and he appreciated the hell out of that. Some women would balk at the thought of trekking eight blocks to see a movie, but Gage had a feeling nothing fazed Skyler. Ever.
“So you caused trouble as a kid,” she mused. “And then you got older and chose to make a living by fighting.”
He frowned. “You’re doing a master’s in psychology, huh? What, are you conducting a case study on me or something?”
“Nope. This is for my own private database. I’m trying to make sense of you.”
“Don’t bother. I’m not very complicated. What you see is what you get.”
“No, I don’t think so at all.” She came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk and placed her hand on his chest. “Tell me the truth—do you like me?”
With those big eyes peering up at him and her soft hand resting between his pecs, he couldn’t do anything but offer a wordless nod.
“Say it,” she murmured.
“I—” His voice was so gravelly he had to clear his throat. “I like you.”
Her lips curved in pleasure. “Then why were you avoiding me?”
“Because…” He swore softly. “I spent the night at your place.”
“Yeah, and?”
“It’s like you said before—I broke my own rule.” Something akin to helplessness jammed in his chest. “Screwing is one thing. I know it. I’m good at it. But cuddling and whispering in bed? Whole other story.”
He knew he sounded like an ass, but he’d set ground rules for a reason. He didn’t want Skyler to get too attached. He didn’t want to get too attached.
He’d hoped that enforcing a strict sex-only policy would help him keep a distance, but that night at Skyler’s place…he’d forgotten all about it. Falling asleep tucked against her warm body had felt nice. Too damn nice.
“My friends told me today that there’s no such thing as just sex.” She pursed her lips. “I think they might be right. I mean, there’s going to be moments when our man bits and lady bits aren’t touching—”
He barked out a laugh.
“—which means we’re bound to engage in some conversation. But that doesn’t make things serious, though.” Her hand remained on his chest, delicate fingers carelessly stroking him over his shirt.
Gage’s hand traveled up and curled over hers, gently stroking her knuckles. “I don’t do relationships, Skyler. I’m not good at them.”
“Why do you think that?”
He swallowed. “Because I don’t talk, I don’t share my feelings, I’m not affectionate—I could probably list a dozen more things, but that’s the gist of it.”
“I see. Well. I hate to break it to you, big guy, but right now? You’re talking, sharing your feelings, and being affectionate.” She twisted her hand around and laced their fingers together as if to emphasize her point.
“That’s not the same,” he protested.
Skyler stuck out her tongue. “Stop being difficult.” Her thumb rubbed the inside of his palm, and his cock instantly responded by jerking against his zipper. “Look, you like me, right?”
“I just said so, didn’t I?” he rumbled.
“Do you like hanging out with me?”
He nodded warily.
She rose on her tiptoes, bringing those pouty lips close to his ear. “And you like being naked with me?”
A husky groan slipped out. “Damn it, baby, you know I do.”
“Then let’s keep doing it, all of it, and see where it goes. No promises, no pressure. If you don’t feel like hanging out, just text me back and say, not tonight. I’m a big girl, Gage, and I won’t cry myself to sleep if you don’t feel like seeing me. Just don’t ignore me altogether.” She shot him a pointed stare. “Because that’s a dick move.”
He sheepishly avoided her eyes. “I know.” He swallowed again, his voice coming out rusty. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.” She flashed a broad smile and tugged on his hand. “Okay, no more heavy, serious stuff. We’ll be late for the movie if we don’t hurry, and I don’t want to miss a single second of Stallone.”
…
His hand was on her thigh. Good Lord. How was she supposed to concentrate on the screen when his hand was on her thigh? Not over her skirt, either. The insufferable man had pushed the fabric up so he could make contact with her bare skin.
Skyler couldn’t believe they actually were sitting in a dark theater together. And Gage looked like he was actually enjoying himself, which was even more surprising. Movie dates hadn’t been part of the deal, but no way was she complaining about this turn of events.
A sudden deafening explosion on the screen made her jump, summoning a dark chuckle from Gage. “Scaredy-cat,” he whispered.
“I wasn’t scared,” she whispered back. “I was distracted.”
He leaned into her, teasing her once more with his spicy, masculine scent. He smelled so darn good, and his sexy mouth was dangerously close to her ear. “What’s got you so distracted, Skyler?”
She placed her hand over his and squeezed his knuckles. “This.”
“Hmmm. Do you like it when I put my hands on you?” He spoke so softly she barely heard him over the gunfire and screeching tires blaring from the screen.
She stifled an aggravated sigh. “You know I do.”
He moved his palm over her thigh in a sensual caress, chuckled again when her breath caught, and then stopped stroking and turned back to the action scene unfolding in front of them.
The theater was packed. Skyler was painfully aware of the people on either side of them, in front of them, behind them. And she was equally aware of him. His long body folded into his chair, his biceps, sleek and tempting, peeking from the sleeves of his black T-shirt. If they’d been alone she would have spread her legs wider and given him access to more than her thigh, and Gage must have read her mind, because his mouth dipped close again.
“You’re thinking about me fingering your pussy.”
It took everything she had to stop a moan of lust from slipping out.
“I am, too,” he rasped. “My cock is aching just picturing it.”
Skyler’s pulse drowned out the movie. Wonderful. Now she’d have to come back next week and watch it again, because Gage had officially stolen her ability to concentrate.
And he didn’t let up—for the next hour, he whispered the dirtiest things in her ear. Seductive threats, wicked observations, filthy promises. His hand never left her thigh, but save for the occasional caress, it sat there in unmoving innocence as he taunted her with words and refused to follow through with actions. By the time the end credits rolled, she was squirming in her seat, panties soaked and nipples tight with arousal.
Skyler couldn’t walk properly as they followed the mob out of the theater. She felt like she was running a fever, her body hot and achy and pleading for relief. Even though it was midnight, the air outside was so humid it only made her sweat harder. It was the hottest summer in Boston history, and she was with the hottest man in human history, a man who seemed determined to make her burst into flames.
“You okay, Sky?” he mocked. “It looks like you’re having trouble walking.”
She grabbed a hunk of his shirt and clenched her teeth as she glared at him. “You’ve been toying with me for the past hour and a half. Of course I’m not okay.”
Gruff laughter rumbled out of his chest. He examined their surroundings for a beat, then took her hand and practically dragged her down the now-deserted street. Before she could blink, they were in another alley, with her back against a brick wall while a warm male hand traveled between her legs.
“What is it with you and alleys?” she mumbled.
He didn’t answer. He just groaned, because his hand had discovered the evidence of her arousal in the form of her very drenched panties.
“Jesus. You are hurting.” His gray eyes burned with passion. “My poor little bad girl.”
God, he was teasing her again. Blunt fingertips lightly stroked her clit, his touch featherlight and not nearly enough. Skyler’s head lolled to the side, but her eyes stayed open, fixed on the intensity sharpening his rugged features. Then something downright wicked flashed in his eyes and he slipped two fingers under the crotch of her panties.
After the endless torment of his verbal foreplay, her body was a lit fuse—and it exploded the second those long fingers drove deep. Skyler bit her lip as the orgasm shuddered through her. She bore down on Gage’s fingers and rocked into his hand, but the rush of pleasure faded fast. It hadn’t been enough, and he seemed to know it.
“That was just to take the edge off,” he said huskily.
Skyler rearranged her skirt with trembling hands. “It didn’t take the edge off at all,” she grumbled. “I’m hurting even worse now.”
“Aw, hell.” He looked genuinely concerned for a moment, then brightened up. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you off again in the cab on the way home.”
She choked back laughter as she followed him back to the street.
Chapter Eight
“Do you want to watch me fight tonight?”
That was the last thing Skyler expected to hear when she answered her phone. She didn’t normally take calls at work, but when her cell had buzzed in her apron and she’d spotted Gage’s number, she’d decided to make an exception. Although they’d seen and spoken to each other several times over the past week, it was still rare for him to be the one to reach out to her, so his taking the initiative to call brought a rush of happiness to her chest.
“I’m still working,” she told him, genuine regret washing over her. Not that she was a big fan of watching grown men beat the crap out of each other, but she really did want to see Gage. She couldn’t seem to get enough of the guy.
“What time are you done?” he asked.
“Well, we’re closing early tonight for a private party. I’m not working it, but I am helping with the setup, so I won’t be out of here until nine thirty-ish.”
“Fight’s not ’til ten.” He paused. “Is that too late for you? I know you woke up early this morning, so if you want to go home and sleep, I understand.”
His concern absolutely touched her. Honestly, she had no idea why he thought he sucked at relationships. He had an intense side, sure, but he also went out of his way to make sure her needs were met. Hell, he’d even cooked her dinner the other night. And he liked to snuggle. That already put him way ahead of her previous boyfriends.
“No, I want to see you fight,” she told him. “I’ll just chug some coffee at the end of my shift and I’ll be wide-awake.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
“I’ll pick you up at nine thirty then.”
She was grinning like an idiot as she disconnected, same way she’d been grinning all week long. It was probably a good thing her roommates were always out, sparing her a ton of merciless teasing about how besotted she was.
She didn’t understand it herself. Gage was the furthest thing from her type. Big, burly, and tattooed. Strong and silent. Lots of baggage. He avoided talking about his background, but she knew it haunted him, whatever it was. Still, the fact that he kept so much of himself hidden only made her want to work harder to unlock him.
Skyler ducked out of the employee lounge and spent the next hour tending to her customers and trading wisecracks wi
She felt it the moment he walked into the steakhouse. Warmth flooded her body, the hairs on the back of her neck tingled, and sure enough, she turned to see him standing at the hostess stand, his hot gaze zeroing in on her like a missile. As her pulse sped up, Skyler smiled and gave a little wave, then gestured for him to wait at the bar.
He didn’t smile back, just swept those gray eyes over her body, a slow and deliberate up-and-down that heated her cheeks. Her uniform was by no means indecent—black pants and a fitted blue dress shirt—but the way he looked at her, she might as well have been naked with a big bow tied around her.
Skyler swallowed, scowling when she glimpsed the amused gleam in his eyes. He knew how easily he got to her. Knew what he did to her with one sultry look.
As he wandered over to the bar, her gaze stayed glued on him. He wore a long-sleeve black shirt and faded blue jeans that hugged his taut ass. God, that ass. She knew firsthand how firm it was, how amazing it felt to dig her fingers into it while he moved on top of her.
“Holy moly, who is that?” One of the other waitresses sidled up to Skyler at the drink station, pretending to fan herself.
She couldn’t wipe the enormous grin off her face. “My date.”
Megan almost dropped dead from visible envy. “Goddamn it, girl, you did good.”
“I know, right?”
It felt like forever before her shift ended. Once all the customers cleared out, the staff quickly began dragging tables to the center of the room to create one long eating area for the incoming party. As Skyler stacked chairs, she caught sight of her manager Naomi approaching Gage at the bar counter.
Naomi gestured to the door, clearly informing him he had to leave, which prompted Skyler to hurry over to the bar. “He’s my ride home,” she told her boss. “Is it cool if he hangs out here until I’m done?”