was supposed to be…amazing. Totally suspended in the air on a crane. Just blowing in the breeze. Full-service bar and grill chef.”
“I don’t mind spaghetti.”
“I hope not. You’re wearing it.”
“Soaked through my dress.” Elle hummed over a sip of her wine. “Had to rinse my panties too.”
There was my punishment. A rock hard cock and no way to swipe the dishes off the counter and fuck the ever-loving hell out of her.
“I think spaghetti is my new favorite food,” I said.
“I think I’m just glad we’re eating it at sea-level.”
“Sea-level is boring.”
“Even with me as your dinner date?”
Sassy little thing. “You get my blood pumping in an entirely different way, Red.”
“I don’t understand you. Why are you always looking for that next adrenaline rush?”
I shrugged. “I only need two things. A football in my hand and my wife in my bed.”
“Don’t deny it,” she said. “You’re a total adrenaline junkie.”
“I don’t deny anything. Might have to plead the fifth if Piper asks you questions about any dates which could violate my contract.”
She spun the spaghetti around her fork, but she stared at me instead. “So what makes a man want to eat dinner suspended over the city by a crane instead of enjoying a quiet meal in a bistro?”
“The crane is more exciting.”
“What about the other adventures? Bungee jumping off the Stratosphere in Vegas? Getting married on a whim?”
I inhaled the rest of my food and scraped up the sauce with a piece of bread. “My life is one constant adrenaline rush. I spend my days staring down linebackers for a living. Running routes across the middle where a corner could clock me and I’d be out for the season.”
“And you…like it?”
“I love it. The fear. It’s fun, intoxicating.” I lowered my voice. “It’s sexy. Like a seduction.”
She hummed. “And I suppose you like sex to be wild too?”
“You should know.”
“What we did in Vegas defied human strength and endurance. I don’t think we could do it again.”
“Wanna try?”
“One adventure at a time, Charming.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“Is it?” Her eyebrow arched. “You’re not a man used to hearing no.”
“And that’s what makes seduction so damn fun.” I lowered my voice. “Even the strongest can’t resist me.”
“Or maybe you haven’t met your match?”
“I think I have.”
“Believe me, Lachlan. You’re no challenge to me.”
“Then I surrender, Red. You can take me now.”
“And what if I get off on the thrill of the chase?”
“Who wouldn’t?” I offered her another glass of wine, filling it to the brim even as she protested. “That thrill is what proves we’re alive. I love that heart-pounding, muscle-rending tension.”
“Why?”
“Easy. The suspense. The fear. The uncertainty.” I leaned closer to her. “It’s all about the intensity. Doesn’t matter if you’re jumping off a bridge, lining up across from a linebacker, or carrying a beautiful woman to your bed. No one knows what will happen. But you pant. You sweat. And you take that leap.”
“And what happens?”
“You get your release. You land on your feet. Score the touchdown. Come inside an orgasming woman. But, for me, it’s not about that moment of relief—I’m after the split-second just before it happens. When only pure instinct surges through your body, your mind, your reflexes. That’s when you find out what kind of person you are.”
“And who are you?”
“Someone who has never feared a challenge in his life.”
Her lips parted, and she breathed a quick sigh. “What if you get hurt?”
“Can’t have a reward without any risks.”
“I…don’t normally take risks.”
“You could take a chance on me right now.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because I’m not just giving you a moment of pleasure…I’m offering you a lifetime of reward.”
Elle’s fingers drifted close to mine, just barely stroking my hand. Every touch hardened my cock, and I stared into her caramel eyes, tasted the coconut-tropical tease of her scent, and waited to hear the sultry promise of her voice.
Instead, a crash echoed from the living room. Sebastian shouted over the noise.
“I didn’t do it!”
Elle pulled her hand away.
God damn it.
I slid from the counter. “It’s past his bedtime anyway. I should tuck him in.”
“Aw, a story and everything?”
“You know it.” I winked. “There’s a laundry room downstairs. You could toss your dress in the dryer if you want.”
“You don’t mind?”
“I’d rather you not wear the dress…but we should play it cautious tonight.”
“Cautious? You?” Elle laughed. “This I gotta see.”
Normally, she’d be right. But when it came to Sebastian, I did what I could to take care of him.
He was a good kid, even