lots of bass blaring through the club’s speakers.
Glancing over his shoulders that are twice as wide as the rest of him, he says, “Verek,” with his teeth biting into his lip with the beginning of the word, which can only be a V sound. A hint of sweet peppermint follows the word, and until this moment I had no idea it was such an aphrodisiac.
“So like Eric with a V?” I say when he finally comes to a stop and faces me.
“That’s right,” he answers with a sexy, dimpled grin. Leaning forward to get closer to my ear like he’s letting me in on a secret, he says, “My dad wanted me to be unique, to always stand out. What he didn’t consider is that I would have to spend my entire life spelling my name out for people everywhere I go.”
Whether it’s the alcohol in my system or his off-the-charts charisma, I laugh louder than I probably should at his story.
“That’s cute,” I tell him, still smiling.
Tonight could very well be my last chance to flirt with a handsome stranger. And while I know nothing will come of it, other than a little dancing because I love Paul and would never cheat on him, my heart is still beating a million miles a minute in my chest because I’ve never had the courage to talk to someone so…so incredibly sexy and charming. Guys like Verek, well, they may be fun for a night, but then they’re on to the next woman, never slowing down, never falling in love. For a second, I worry about Charlotte falling for Roman, getting her heart broken after all she’s been through. But she’s the toughest person I know. If she can survive losing her husband, she can survive a hot biker.
“You’re beautiful,” Verek says against my ear, letting his scruffy cheek brush my smooth cheek as his big hands grip my waist, and he pulls me closer. My hands automatically lift to his chest, touching the cool leather over his hard muscles underneath.
And for a second, as I look up into his bluish-gray mesmerizing eyes, time stands still. Everyone and everything around us in the club seem to suddenly disappear, even the diamond that usually feels so heavy on my ring finger. There’s nothing in the world but me and this man, drawn together by some sort of mysterious connection.
I shut my eyes to try and break the spell.
“You okay, sweetheart?” he asks.
“Uh-huh.”
Rather than look up, I open my eyes and look straight ahead, right at my diamond engagement ring sparkling under the lights. I made a promise to the man I love. The man who loves me with all of his heart. We only dated for ten months before Paul proposed and I said yes. I knew before then that I wanted to be his wife, even though it felt like something was missing. I wasn’t sure what it was until this moment.
“Nice ring,” Verek mutters when he glances down and spots it. “When’s the big day?”
“Two weeks,” I answer as a storm begins to rage inside of me.
Paul and I have plenty of love between us, but just not much…passion. That’s it, that’s what’s missing! He’s never made my heart race, or my breath come in a rush, not even in bed. Paul treats me with respect, and a little like I’m fragile, nothing but soft kisses and tender lovemaking that’s slow and sweet.
I think I want him to be a little more assertive, more desperate for me. I want him to pin me to the wall and take me with all our clothes on because he can’t wait another second to have me. Now that I know what’s missing, I just have to figure out how to tell him. Communication is the key to a happy relationship, and I owe him the benefit of the doubt that sex between us won’t always be so boring.
“Actually, I should probably go call my fiancé,” I say to Verek, unable to meet his gaze again as I stare at his chest.
“One more song,” he says, tightening his grip that’s moved around to the small of my back. As he dips down to my height, he wedges his thigh between my legs and presses me tightly to his body so that I can feel every hard inch. I should walk away now, but I did ask him to dance and we haven’t even finished one song yet.
“So, um, do you have a Harley too?”