sense in being too eager. Heck, she still wasn’t sure if any of this was a good idea. It had only been at Christmas she’d dumped Nick. Maybe she needed to give herself some time… or maybe she needed to have a nice little rebound fling.
Still, something inside her wanted this to be more than a little fun.
Graham watched her, his Nordic eyes sliding down and dipping briefly at her neckline. “I’ve wanted you since you told me Feliz was pitching for the Rangers tonight. I think we’d be fantastic together.”
Those words did as intended. Tess leaned toward him. “Wanna find out?”
His lips looked soft. She’d never thought such a thing about a man before, but at that moment she wanted to feel them on hers. Why not see if the tension between them was as electric as she suspected? Why waste time wondering what they could know in seconds?
Graham set down his drink and leaned close to her, pushing an errant strand of hair from the corner of her mouth. “You talking a little chemistry experiment?”
Her breath quickened and her eyes dropped to his mouth. “No sense in taking this any further if we’re not… compatible.”
Lightly he brushed her lips with his and she caught his taste. Yeasty and warm with beer. Her pulse sped, and she leaned in for more.
But Graham was a tease.
He dotted little kisses along her jaw, making her stomach flutter with excitement.
“Oh,” she breathed, the warmth spreading as he moved steadily back toward her mouth.
But then he decided to stop teasing and covered her mouth with his, sliding a hand to clasp the back of her head, tilting her so he could gain better access.
Like rain on the parched earth, Tess welcomed the onslaught of desire. She opened her mouth, only slightly, her tongue flitting out to taste him, evocative and flirty, but Graham tasted rich as expensive wine or fine chocolate.
Addictive.
He responded to her invitation and hot desire slammed into her like a midnight train eating up track when his fingers stroked the nape of her neck.
Tess didn’t want to stop, but she did.
Because if she didn’t stop now, she might not be able to. Because if she didn’t stop now, she might straddle him right there on a stool in the Carousel Bar.
Nothing had ever come from a random hook up, and for some reason she didn’t want Graham to go down as a guy she’d never meet again. She wanted to wear a little black dress and killer heels she didn’t need but had to have because they made her legs look long and lean. She wanted moonlight and champagne… or at least a really good pinot grigio. She didn’t want just a one-night stand with Graham.
And that surprised her.
Pulling back, she whispered, “I think I got my answer. You?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m definitely going to need your number.” He touched a finger to her nose in a move that should have been corny but was anything but.
“So you want to walk me home?” Her voice was thick… almost seductive, so she cleared her throat.
“Some water,” the bartender said, setting down two icy glasses in front of them. “So I ain’t gotta call the fire department.”
Tess snorted, picked up the glass, and toasted the bartender who winked at her before moving on to a guy waving a twenty on the other side.
“He has a point. We can’t do that again without charging people admission.” Graham joked, looking as if the kiss had shaken him down to his wing tips. He picked up his own water.
The cold beverage didn’t dampen anything. That hum inside her grew, and she knew she wouldn’t be happy walking away from him. Ever since he walked into the bar, she felt compelled to lose herself in something totally irresponsible.
What if there would never be a black dress, nice dinner, and moonlight? What if Graham didn’t get the job? Never walked back into her world again? Would she regret the missed chance of him in her bed?
Yeah, she would.
“When are you going back?” she asked.
He gulped down the ice water, his strong throat moving as he swallowed. She wanted to kiss him there. Where the pulse beat in his neck, right above the loosened tie.
“Tomorrow morning.”
Indecision dogged her.
“You want another drink?” he asked, nodding toward her half-finished pomegranate martini.
“Not really.”
“Oh,” he said, sounding disappointed. Grabbing the hand she’d tucked in her lap, he cradled it. Stroking her inner wrist, he contemplated his empty glass. She could tell he didn’t