Dane Read online

  Breaking that gaze for my own sanity, I studied the elegant typeset. “I’m not really picky, maybe someone else can choose.” That breathless woman was not me! I felt out of sorts and wished he’d move away so I couldn’t inhale that delicious blend of cologne and something I would swear was pure Dane.

  “Do you enjoy letting others make your decisions?” He knelt down beside me, that penetrating stare nearly making me fall out of the chair.

  “No. Um, I don’t know, maybe?” I couldn’t think with him so close, sure as sin wasn’t holding his gaze. I’d never felt so much around any man before. He made me very uneasy.

  “Let me make this easy for you then. Nick loves cooking Italian, the Gamberi al Vapore always gets rave reviews.” Rubbing his finger over mine where I was gripping the menu, he smiled. “Would you enjoy a taste of Italy?” God! The man could make shrimp sound sexy, and I nodded nervously. “If you’ll allow me to take charge then I’ll make sure you have a meal worthy of your beauty tonight.”

  “Um. Okay. That sounds fine.” It sounded like he was inviting me back to his bedroom, which I knew he wasn’t or I’d be doing my flight or fight thing.

  When he stood up, I was almost disappointed at not having him on his knees. Obviously I needed to get out more, but still! A man shouldn’t be able to affect me that way just because he was gorgeous. His complement about me being beautiful meant nothing either, I told myself. He probably said that to all the women.

  “Are the rest of you ladies willing to trust my judgement or would you like a moment to look over the offerings tonight?” He looked so confident as he did everything but pose for their benefit, that I hoped one of them refused. They didn’t, just grinned or giggled with Gabby acting like a dumb blonde tonight. “Wonderful. Help yourself to the bar until I return.” The second he left they talked about his gorgeous physique and it annoyed me.

  “When’s the last time you had an ass like that in bed?” Christy licked her lips, and stared toward the door he’d departed from.

  “Screw that ass, I want to run my hands over that hard chest of his. Did you notice his nipple was pierced? I’d like to tug on that with my teeth.” Donna, who I considered the most conservative next to me shocked me with the meow she gave after saying those words. “Speaking of, I got you a little gift.” Reaching into her purse she pulled out a strip of condoms pressing them into my hand and my mouth hung open.

  “What about you, bestie? You think Dane could take away your fear of fucking?” Gabby couldn’t expect me to answer that, and I didn’t, instead I glared. “Oh come on babe, you don’t want to stay a virgin forever and if you had to find somebody to give it up to, I’d say he’s a great choice.” She was grinning and I was sure I didn’t know these women supposed to be my friends.

  “Why on earth would I want my first time with a man I don’t even know? I so don’t need these.” My face burned as I looked down at the writing on the packages of rubbers and I tried to hand them back. When she refused to take them, I shoved them into my purse, mortified at the idea our server would come back and see me holding them. “Come on guys. I’ve heard you bitching that sex wasn’t worth the effort.” On the rare occasions we discussed the topic, because I normally shot it down, they bickered about the losers they’d dated.

  “That’s why we brought you here. Most guys don’t know what the hell they’re doing. Dane is considered to be the best. We wanted your first time to be memorable so we all went in together to buy him for you.” Gabby said this like I was supposed to be happy, but I was anything but.

  Standing up, I walked over to the bar and poured myself a shot of whiskey. I didn’t drink, ever! Screw the wine, they’d paid a stranger to have sex with me, and I was ready to smack them all. “How much exactly did you pay him?” It didn’t matter it wasn’t happening.

  “Ten grand. He doesn’t come cheap.” Christy grinned, again trying to impress me I assumed but my eyes widened in horror. I hyperventilated and placed my hands on my knees trying to suck in oxygen. Immediately they surrounded me looking worried.

  “I told you this was a bad idea.” Donna popped me on the back, and at least one of them finally got it.

  “She’s just nervous. Deep breaths babe, in through your mouth out through your nose. He’s going to treat you like a princess, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Gabby’s words were so not helping, and I tried to ignore them while getting my breathing under control.

  chapter three

  Tempting

  Dane

  Walking back in to see my little birthday girl having trouble, I immediately put the appetizers down on their table and rushed to her side. Lifting her to stand, my eyes met hers, and I tried to look relaxed. Ian had panic attacks like this since coming back from Iraq, and I knew just what to do. “Erin, focus on me honey.”

  The wild look in her eyes was so similar to what I saw in Noah’s eyes when he lost it, that I smiled. “You’re fine, no one’s going to hurt you. Deep, long breaths, sweetheart. You can do this for me. Try.” When her eyes focused on mine, she recovered quickly and I kept smiling, hopefully soothingly, until she could pull out of my arms. “You okay now?”

  Her hands rubbed her bare arms as she nodded her head, and I wondered what had made her go into that mode. She didn’t look like she’d suffered the trauma Noah had, but what did I know about the girl. “I’m fine. My friends just delivered a little shock.” She turned to glare at them, and I wondered what could be so shocking in their safe little world? Maybe some guy turned down their offer for marriage or something, it had to be trivial.

  In my experience with their kind, they had everything offered up to them on silver platters and didn’t know how to live in the real world. Pathetic with all the strides made for women’s rights, if you ask me. “Well whatever it was, let’s save that for after dinner. The chef is waiting for your opinions, and I should probably tell you he has a pretty big ego.”

  “I’ve heard Chef Noah was offered a job in Paris?” The sexy bombshell redhead looked very impressed at the idea and I nodded.

  “Of course he turned it down for now. We may expand HUNKS into other countries, but that’s on down the line.”

  “I’m Christy, by the way, I’d love to get an interview with him. My daddy owns the Starlight Enquirer and has been trying for months to get him to return a call.” I knew the rag, it was a very popular gossip celebrity magazine, not known for giving truth as much as greasing the local life here.

  “I’ll make sure to mention it to him.” I motioned them to the table and like the upper bred ladies they were they quickly walked back to where they belonged. Erin didn’t look like the woman that needed to pay for sex, so tonight’s job was definitely easier on my end. I would have probably done her for free just to see if I could get her to scream my name during the act.

  They all ate except that little lady, and I knelt by her chair again. Something was different about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. She definitely didn’t have the self-assurance of her friends, or that privileged attitude of wanting to be handed everything. The truth was she intrigued me. “Need some help?” Picking up one of the shrimp, I dipped it in an orange butter glazed sauce and brought it to her lips.

  A shot of lust speared through my cock as her trembling lips wrapped around the succulent little morsel and she bit down. Tonight just got much more interesting. Her eyes closed and a soft moan escaped, telling me she was a very sensual creature. I wondered how often I could make her moan before she left my bed.

  Picking up her napkin, I wiped away the slight dribble of juice watching her eyes open in surprise. Something was very innocent in those emerald orbs, I wanted to fuck it out of her. “Thank you.” Even her damn voice was hesitant and quiet. She’d definitely only slept with losers because no woman that looked like her could retain that naive air once they learned their power.

  Instead of answering, I fed her the rest of the prawn, and this time she focused on me while devouring it. There w
as the little slut waiting inside every female. The way she used that mouth there was no doubt the other thing I’d witnessed was a well-practiced act. I’d make her pay for that later, maybe by sucking my cock until she choked. Standing up, I smirked walking away.

  Her little game wasn’t a revelation, all the women I’d met here were full of shit. Their stories were something they liked to tell in the bedroom, even though I’d quit caring long ago about their problems. The married ones who stayed with a man for money, the females who got knocked up by their rich boyfriend and didn’t want to raise kids on their own, or the daddy’s girls who married for political gain to keep the family in good standing. All of them made my opinion of females low on the totem pole.

  Catching up with Noah in the kitchen, he was barking out orders like we were still in the service. “Might want to slack off on the hired help there soldier.” Barking out a laugh when he tossed a spatula at my head, I ducked just in time.

  “I’m trying to put together perfection and these idiots can’t follow orders. I should replace the whole lot of them.” His pissed off glare had several of his helpers moving back. Noah could be a real ass when he got in the mode, and usually giving him space and bowing to his demands was all he required.

  “Chill dude. Not everyone was born with that magical skill you wield in the kitchen.” Chuckling, I dipped a spoon into the marinara sauce and almost sighed. I may have been a god in the sack, but for a kitchen, Noah was a legend. “Damn good bro!”

  “Of course. Now if that stupid ass reviewer thinks so I’ll relax. How’d the party enjoy the shrimp?” He liked to pretend he was all cocky, but opinions mattered a great deal to him.

  “Had the little birthday girl moaning, so I’d say a total hit. Oh one of her little guests wants an interview. Apparently that magazine you’re avoiding has a cute little redheaded reporter willing to bend over backwards for your attention.”

  “She hot?” Noah would ask that, he could droll on about how he was looking for Mrs. Right but we all enjoyed a good lay. “Yeah I’d fuck her, but her daddy owns the company, so might want to be careful of getting a bad review.” I grinned, knowing how much he hated the press after the hell we put up with after the war.

  “Give her my number. Maybe I’ll fuck her little ass and make her like it, and she can give that story to daddy.” It was a running joke what we’d like to do to all those fuckers that made us look like shit after serving our country. Iraq may have been political but we’d been following orders not looking to buy votes. Obviously we still had shit to work out.

  “You serious about that?” Who knew with Noah these days? After his girlfriend left him a few months back he’d stayed clear of all females.

  “About the interview, yeah. Fucking her? Hell, Kim’s not coming back so why not. My balls ache from rubbing one out all the time.” No one was happier than me to hear he was back in the game. Before that little bitch had stolen his heart he’d earned a killing from the side action we had going on.

  I shut up and let him finish the courses, enjoying the sight of him working. I couldn’t scramble an egg so it fascinated me he could put together these award winning meals. Taking the lobster bisque back to my party, I hoped they knew how lucky they were to be sharing his gifts. I was definitely swiping a bowl of the delicious soup for myself when I finished setting them up.

  Erin barely lifted her eyes when I walked in the room, and I didn’t know if she was playing hard to get or just not interested. The former I’d easily fix, the latter pissed me off. “You need help finishing this princess?” The fire that filled her gaze when she finally gave me the attention I demanded, shocked me.

  “I’m no one’s princess, and I can feed myself thank you very much.” She seemed embarrassed after saying the words, and I wasn’t sure what set her off. “I’m sorry that was rude. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.”

  The girl was a contradiction, and I was once again having trouble figuring her out. Bitching one minute, apologizing the next. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be the easy money I’d hoped for. A damn fool could see she wanted me when our eyes met though, and I finally decided it was frustration that set her off. She wanted more than a meal and that I could make a reality for her.

  “Don’t worry about it. I promise after you eat I’ll give you a nice long massage and whatever ails you will disappear.” Instead of making her relax, she looked ready to bolt. What the fuck! She was sending a dozen mixed signals and I didn’t know which one of them was the real her. Fucking women.

  Giving her a warm smile I sure didn’t feel she deserved, I left her to the entre. Stomping back into the kitchen, my mood was as crappy as Noah’s now. “What crawled up your ass and died?” He slid a bowl of soup over and went back to work while eyeing me occasionally.

  “Nothing I can’t handle. This little bitch from the party is getting the full ride tonight, and I can’t put my finger on her.” Reading women was my job, so it struck a nerve this one fitted no slots.

  “You better put more than a finger on her if you want her going home smiling.” He chuckled, and I did a fake laugh.

  “Really fucking funny. Brandt’s counting on me to make her satisfied tonight, but I can’t tell if she’s running hot or cold. She’s good at the game, I’ll give her that much.” Picking up my spoon, I slurped a large mouthful, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Noah threw a rag at me.

  “Wonder why with manners like that. Shit man you know these little socialites want it all. The man that treats them like a princess outside the bedroom and a rough fucking under the sheets.” I wiped my mouth, then went back to eating with a nod to him. “Heard the girl was just twenty-one, might be she’s never had a real man take an interest before. Those young guys don’t know shit about seducing a woman.”

  I’d had the same thought earlier, and it made sense. Rocking her world required finesse. I could tone it down until I got her warmed up. “All I’ve done is a little harmless flirting, but you could be right. Maybe she’s one of those hearts and flowers types. Not sure I can pull that one off.” I chuckled deeply at the idea.

  “Get Colton to help you out. He’s got a knack for sweet talking those ladies with morals.” Being a bartender had taught him a thing or two about bending women to his will. He could be nicer than some pansy ass choir boy and the older women really ate his shit up. Truth was he was hard as nails if you knew him personally, but his acting skills were phenomenal.

  “I might double team with him if I can’t pull it off, but I know what to do now.” Finishing my soup until all I could do was lick the bowl, I took the last dish out of thinly sliced scaloppini fixed up with some wine sauce and lemon Noah came up with the recipe for.

  chapter four

  Service

  Erin

  “Shit, babe. That man feeding you was like a mental orgasm earlier. Why wouldn’t you let him do it again? And you can’t tell me you didn’t feel the connection?” Gabby was smiling a little too confidently, and the truth was I couldn’t deny her words.

  “Doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with him. I appreciate you guys going to all this trouble, but I can’t just have sex with some stranger.” No matter how badly I suddenly wanted too.

  “Why the hell not? You obviously want him.” She was shaking her head looking very pissed off that her birthday gift was being turned down.

  “What if he hurts me?” I didn’t mean to put my fears out there in the open but I feared sex still to this day. Was it stupid? Probably, I hadn’t been raped but that feeling of not being in control had left its mark on me and I couldn’t forget the fear.

  “I swear if Bobby Martin wasn’t behind bars I’d find someone to kick his ass again. He was a creep, babe. You can’t let that one night cloud your life forever.” Gabby walked around the table and lowered to hug me tightly. “He can’t hurt you ever again.”

  “Damn it, this has to end. I can’t believe that’s why you have fucked anyone.” Christy stood up, pissed as shit, if
her heaving chest and now red face was an indicator. “You should have had your daddy castrate him!”

  “He can do that?” I didn’t mean to say the words out loud, but the thought of his dick being ripped off was even worse than what he’d done.

  “You don’t run a casino without having men willing to do nasty things, babe. Doesn’t matter though. This is your chance to get over that shit. Believe me, HUNKS needs a good review to keep this place open, and my daddy will give Dane what he needs. Take this gift, and heal yourself, Erin. I promise once you see the pleasure in sex, you’ll understand that boy was nothing but a low life piece of shit!”

  Dane walked in on her last words, and I blushed hotly. “Well whoever he was, I think I’ll drink to his loss and my gain. Are you ladies up for a refill?” He was smiling so sweetly that I couldn’t put him in the same light as Bobby Martin, so I nodded. Maybe my friends were right.

  I’d lived in fear of sexual intimacy and then two years of hell watching my aunt suffer. I deserved something for all I’d put up with. Dane was a beautiful man, and obviously very talented in the hands on department. Would it be so horrible to let him pleasure me? “Make mine a double of whatever.” I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t regret this tomorrow, but tonight I would give in to the temptation before me.

  Drinking shots of whiskey with the delicious scallop and meat dish, probably ruined the effect, but I was ready to live on the edge. We didn’t stop with just one either, once the bottle was opened, we polished it off including our gorgeous host in on the fun. For fifty year old bourbon it was smooth and had a huge kick to boot. Whoever this X.O.P was he made a fine drink.

  Giggling as my head grew light, the rest of my dinner was pushed aside. I can say nothing was really on my mind. Maybe all I’d needed was a night getting so drunk I couldn’t feel my tongue? Dane pulled away the shot I was about to reach for, and I looked at him in confusion.