Tough Love
Page 3
True enough, Leese currently stood off to the side, one shoulder to the wall and an indulgent smile on his handsome face as three remarkably gorgeous girls, probably no more than twenty years old, hung on his every word.
A soft bite to her shoulder regained Vanity’s attention. “Hey!”
Stack licked the spot, then opened his mouth on her, sucking until her toes curled in her shoes and she moaned, entirely forgetting that they were on a dance floor with other people around.
“Better,” he whispered, kissing his way back to her mouth. “Attention on me tonight, darlin’. Me and only me.”
Incredulous, she reared back to see him. “You’re jealous of Leese?”
Blue eyes darkened, turned smokier. “No reason to be, right?”
“None at all.” Being as honest with him as she could, she admitted, “Leese knows I want you.”
Stack missed a beat before resuming the sway of their dance. “You told him about tonight?”
“No.” How much should she admit? She considered it, and decided, why not? “I get hit on.”
That made him laugh.
Feeling her face go hot, Vanity lifted her chin. “Well, I do. So whenever I go to watch one of you fight, Leese goes along with me—as long as he’s not the one fighting and he doesn’t have a date.”
“Using him as repellent, huh?”
She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds terrible.” And true. “I like Leese. We get along well. Random guys think he’s a date, and Leese understands.”
Cocking a brow, Stack stated, “That you want me.”
“Yes.” Deal with that, she thought.
Before tonight, before this very moment, Vanity would have clarified that she wanted him just for tonight. She’d lured him in with a no-strings-attached promise in hopes that once they hooked up, he’d enjoy himself enough to insist on a replay.
Then another, and another.
Devious, yes. Manipulative, sure. But her deception wouldn’t hurt anyone. She would have sex with Stack. And if, despite her best efforts, he decided they were one and done, she wouldn’t harass him. She’d be disappointed. She’d be devastated. But she had her pride.
Tilting his head, Stack studied her. “So Leese throws other guys off the scent, because...what? You don’t date?”
Mmm, no. She didn’t, but she’d prefer he not know that. Not just yet, anyway. “Let’s just say I’m choosy. When I want a man, I let him know.”
Now Stack looked irate. “The way you let me know?”
She tried not to smile but lost the battle. “You’re the only man I’ve made a deal with.”
“The deal being a date for sex?”
Yes, that was the deal she’d offered him. But it wasn’t that simple. “Not just any date,” she insisted while looking at his mouth. “It’s not like I’d make that offer for a date to a movie or a dance or anything lame.”
“You’re saying the wedding is special?”
Vanity bit her lip and slowly shook her head.
His gaze held hers. “So you’re saying I’m special.”
The teasing look in his eyes warmed her from the inside out. “As the maid of honor, I needed a date. And this wasn’t just any wedding. It was the wedding.” Just about everyone in Warfield, Ohio, knew Cannon. As a top fighter for the SBC, he was a hometown hero. Actually, he was such a great guy that he’d been a hero before the SBC signed him on. But now, with fans around the world, the locals totally revered him.
Being a fighter on the fast track and one of Cannon’s close friends, Stack had his own share of admiration from near and far. “You were the perfect choice.”
He nodded slowly. “So I’m not only special but perfect.” He nudged her closer. “Careful or you’ll make me blush.”
Vanity doubted such a thing was possible. “I know I’ve teased you.”
“Yeah, but most of the time I enjoyed it.”
“I’m glad.” Going on tiptoe to brush her mouth over his, Vanity stared into his eyes. Timing was everything, she reminded herself. And now seemed like a good time to share a truth. “You’re the only one I considered for this particular bargain.”
For the longest time he stared into her eyes and said nothing. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t take it a moment more, he cupped a hand to her neck, moved his thumb over her jaw. “I’m glad it was me.”
Without her realizing it, he’d danced them over to the entryway. Now he took her hand and tugged her away from the ballroom. “What do we have to do before we can get out of here? And don’t make the list too long, because I swear, I won’t make it.”
A soft bite to her shoulder regained Vanity’s attention. “Hey!”
Stack licked the spot, then opened his mouth on her, sucking until her toes curled in her shoes and she moaned, entirely forgetting that they were on a dance floor with other people around.
“Better,” he whispered, kissing his way back to her mouth. “Attention on me tonight, darlin’. Me and only me.”
Incredulous, she reared back to see him. “You’re jealous of Leese?”
Blue eyes darkened, turned smokier. “No reason to be, right?”
“None at all.” Being as honest with him as she could, she admitted, “Leese knows I want you.”
Stack missed a beat before resuming the sway of their dance. “You told him about tonight?”
“No.” How much should she admit? She considered it, and decided, why not? “I get hit on.”
That made him laugh.
Feeling her face go hot, Vanity lifted her chin. “Well, I do. So whenever I go to watch one of you fight, Leese goes along with me—as long as he’s not the one fighting and he doesn’t have a date.”
“Using him as repellent, huh?”
She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds terrible.” And true. “I like Leese. We get along well. Random guys think he’s a date, and Leese understands.”
Cocking a brow, Stack stated, “That you want me.”
“Yes.” Deal with that, she thought.
Before tonight, before this very moment, Vanity would have clarified that she wanted him just for tonight. She’d lured him in with a no-strings-attached promise in hopes that once they hooked up, he’d enjoy himself enough to insist on a replay.
Then another, and another.
Devious, yes. Manipulative, sure. But her deception wouldn’t hurt anyone. She would have sex with Stack. And if, despite her best efforts, he decided they were one and done, she wouldn’t harass him. She’d be disappointed. She’d be devastated. But she had her pride.
Tilting his head, Stack studied her. “So Leese throws other guys off the scent, because...what? You don’t date?”
Mmm, no. She didn’t, but she’d prefer he not know that. Not just yet, anyway. “Let’s just say I’m choosy. When I want a man, I let him know.”
Now Stack looked irate. “The way you let me know?”
She tried not to smile but lost the battle. “You’re the only man I’ve made a deal with.”
“The deal being a date for sex?”
Yes, that was the deal she’d offered him. But it wasn’t that simple. “Not just any date,” she insisted while looking at his mouth. “It’s not like I’d make that offer for a date to a movie or a dance or anything lame.”
“You’re saying the wedding is special?”
Vanity bit her lip and slowly shook her head.
His gaze held hers. “So you’re saying I’m special.”
The teasing look in his eyes warmed her from the inside out. “As the maid of honor, I needed a date. And this wasn’t just any wedding. It was the wedding.” Just about everyone in Warfield, Ohio, knew Cannon. As a top fighter for the SBC, he was a hometown hero. Actually, he was such a great guy that he’d been a hero before the SBC signed him on. But now, with fans around the world, the locals totally revered him.
Being a fighter on the fast track and one of Cannon’s close friends, Stack had his own share of admiration from near and far. “You were the perfect choice.”
He nodded slowly. “So I’m not only special but perfect.” He nudged her closer. “Careful or you’ll make me blush.”
Vanity doubted such a thing was possible. “I know I’ve teased you.”
“Yeah, but most of the time I enjoyed it.”
“I’m glad.” Going on tiptoe to brush her mouth over his, Vanity stared into his eyes. Timing was everything, she reminded herself. And now seemed like a good time to share a truth. “You’re the only one I considered for this particular bargain.”
For the longest time he stared into her eyes and said nothing. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t take it a moment more, he cupped a hand to her neck, moved his thumb over her jaw. “I’m glad it was me.”
Without her realizing it, he’d danced them over to the entryway. Now he took her hand and tugged her away from the ballroom. “What do we have to do before we can get out of here? And don’t make the list too long, because I swear, I won’t make it.”
