“I love you for caring. Now I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Love you too. Take care and have fun.”
She shut her phone and reentered the club to find Decklan, arms folded across his chest, waiting right outside the hallway. “I thought maybe you found a window through which to escape.”
“Not a chance.” Now that she was in, she was going to enjoy. “I just needed to freshen up and call a friend. Otherwise the cavalry might arrive if I didn’t get home on time.”
“Good to know someone has your back.”
She smiled. “Never doubt it.” If she needed anything, Brad would drop everything. They’d been best friends since bonding in college, and nothing could change that. Now she was his personal assistant, allowing him to focus on code while she kept the rest of his life running smoothly.
Decklan placed a hand against the small of her back, a possessive gesture that had her trembling.
“My place or yours?” he asked.
“I’m in from out of town.” Brad had two apartments, leased and hidden under fake names, where they stayed when in town for business. One for him, the other for her. They were far from the ultra-wealthy area where people would expect Senator Ritter’s son to stay and kept both him and Keith protected. She didn’t want to take Decklan there and raise questions.
He blinked at the revelation. “Actually, that makes sense. It explains why you’re not here more often.”
It was her turn to be surprised. “You really did pay attention?”
“Are we back to whether or not I tell the truth?” he asked in a warning tone.
Her ass still ached from his first punishment, and she wanted to move on to the next part of the night. “No, we’re good.”
“So my place is okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m just outside of Manhattan. Great Neck,” he said.
“I’m okay with that.” She could always call a cab if she needed to escape.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I suppose.” She’d eaten dinner, but it was getting late, and she could use something to boost her blood sugar. “Are you hungry?”
His eyes darkened. His thumb suddenly pressed against her bottom lip. She sighed, her tongue darting out and licking his salty skin. “Make no mistake, baby. I plan to eat you.”
Her breath left in a whoosh. “Oh.”
He slid his finger back and forth across her lip. Her ni**les puckered at the simple touch, and she felt the pull directly in the apex of her sex.
“You sound like a New Yorker,” she said, trying to find a semblance of sanity.
He nodded. “Born and raised. You?”
“Maryland,” she murmured, her gaze never leaving his. Those almost-navy eyes mesmerized her, making her feel like she could drown in their depths.
“And where do you live today?” he asked.
“Washington, D.C.” She pulled herself out of the spell he wove around her, reminding herself she had someone else’s secrets to protect even more than her own.
A one-night stand didn’t need intimate, get-to-know-you time. But she wanted to learn more about him, and that was a dangerous proposition.
“Are you going to talk all night?” she asked playfully, a tactic to move things along. “Or do you have some moves you want to show me?”
He laughed. “You can be fun,” he said, clearly surprised.