She absently licked her bottom lip as she watched him approach. And what a mighty fine view it was. He was dressed casually in tan Dockers pants and a knit polo shirt, but there was no mistaking the powerful, rock-hard body beneath his clothes. His shoulders were broad, and his biceps were built with firm, toned muscles that hinted at the strength in those arms. A lean torso gave way to a flat belly, narrow hips, and lower, a pair of solid thighs.
Then there was his face-big girlie sigh here-gorgeous and masculine, with intense eyes and dark, silky brown hair that was a bit longer, and certainly more unruly and tousled, than most of the short, executive cuts in the room. It made him look rebellious and untamed, as if rules didn’t apply to him.
And oh, how those bad-boy qualities appealed to her, and called to her on a feminine level.
Swallowing to ease the sudden dryness in her throat, she managed a nonchalant smile when he came to a stop in front of her. “Hey.”
He pushed his hands into the front pockets of his pants, his hypnotic eyes searching her features. “You’re leaving?”
She shrugged. “There’s really no reason for me to stay.”
“Not even for me?” An irresistible, toe-curling smile edged up the corners of his sensual mouth, and a surge of heat settled low in her belly.
The man didn’t play fair. He was tempting her with his grin, his words, that totally hot body-and Lord help her, she was helpless to withstand all that enticing charm. Going so many months without sex was making her weak, weak, weak.
She figured the best defense was to flirt right back. “Is that your roundabout way of asking me to stay?”
“Yes, it is.” Uncaring that they were standing in a room full of people, he reached out and stroked the pad of his thumb along her jaw, his touch electric against her sensitive skin. “To answer your earlier question, you tempt me. More than you can imagine.”
She could imagine, all right. The corresponding fantasies filtering through her mind were definitely carnal.
“Except I don’t want to stay here with all these people around,” he went on, his voice low and intimate. “Let’s go have something to eat in the restaurant, just the two of us.”
Just that easily, he swayed her. Besides, it was still early, and it wasn’t like she had anything or anyone waiting for her at home. “Okay.”
With his big, warm hand riding low at the base of her spine, he guided her out of the back room and into Simply Fondue, where a hostess seated them at a cozy booth with tall partitions for privacy. She slid along the leather seat, and Nathan moved in close beside her. Then he went ahead and ordered a cheese fondue, a chocolate caramel fondue for dessert, and a recommended bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
Once the wine was delivered and a glass poured for each of them, Nicole turned to Nathan and clinked her goblet to his. “To a very interesting evening.”
“And just think, it isn’t even over yet.” He winked at her and took a drink of his wine.
Grinning, she shook her head at him. “I’m thinking you and I have broken some serious rules about speed dating.”
He looked completely unconcerned. “How so?”
“Well, we both came here tonight under false pretenses and not really wanting to meet anyone, yet here we are, hooking up on the sly.”
He rested his arm along the back of the booth behind Nicole, and his fingers threaded through her hair until she felt them sliding along the nape of her neck. The sensual contact sent delicious shivers down her spine and made her breasts tighten and tingle in reaction.
“Is that what we’re doing?” he asked huskily as his fingers continued to stroke her skin and wreak havoc with her sorely neglected libido. “Hooking up?”
“Maybe.” His caress was so inviting, seducing her senses and all those female body parts that had gone much too long without a man’s touch. “If you’re lucky.”
“I’m sitting here with you now, aren’t I?”
She laughed. “That part has nothing to do with luck.”
He cocked a dark brow, his eyes alight with humor. “What would you call it then?”
“Pure, unadulterated desire,” she said, and took a slow sip of her wine, letting those words sink in before she continued. She was feeling bold and daring, and she embraced the sensation. “The way I see things, I want you and you clearly want me, and we’re testing things out, maybe seeing if we like each other enough to take that desire one step farther.”
He leaned closer to her, so close she could inhale the intoxicating scent of his clean, crisp cologne. So close, he could have kissed her if he wanted-and she would have let him, just to see if he tasted as good as she imagined.
“Just to set the record straight,” he murmured, the flare of heat in his tawny eyes sending sparks to all those secret, warm places deep inside her. “I like you, Nicole. A lot .”
“I like you, too,” she admitted.
He gave her a reckless grin. “A lot?” he cajoled, a teasing note to his voice.
The man was too confident, though all that self-assurance worked really well for him. However, she wasn’t about to give him everything up front. “I’ll let you know. In time. You have to earn it first.”
“I’ll do my very best.” There was just enough arrogance in his gaze to let her know he had the ability to wrap her around his finger, and other more masculine body parts. In time.
Their waitress arrived, interrupting the sensual mood as she delivered the pot of Swiss cheese fondue, along with grilled chunks of steak, vegetables, and pieces of bread for dipping. She refilled Nicole’s nearly empty wineglass, then moved on to the next table to take another couple’s order.
Nicole picked up one of the long fondue forks, pierced a slice of medium-rare filet mignon, and dipped it into the creamy cheese sauce. “So, what do you do for work?” she asked, wanting to know more beyond the fact he was totally hot and sexy as sin.
“I work in security.”
She finished eating her steak and went for an artichoke heart. “So, are we talking security alarms?” she guessed.
He shook his head, washed down the bite of meat he’d eaten with his Sauvignon Blanc, then answered. “I’m a surveillance supervisor at The Onyx Casino. I work in the control room and deal with security issues that occur in the gaming areas.”
She was impressed. “Now, that’s far more exciting than a rent-a-cop or a man who spends his time installing alarms,” she teased. “Have you always worked in a casino?”
“No.” He paused for a moment before continuing, as if thinking his reply through before answering. “I joined the marines out of high school, then worked for Las Vegas Metro for a while before taking on the job at The Onyx.”
Reaching for her glass of wine, she focused on what they had in common. “My younger brother, Eric, is currently serving in the military.”
“Really? What branch?” he asked curiously.
“Army.” He dunked a piece of sourdough bread into the creamy Swiss cheese, and she watched in fascination as he brought it to his mouth, his tongue catching a drop of sauce before it could fall to his chin. “He’s been in Iraq for nearly two years now.”
He met her gaze, the look in his eyes somber and very knowing. “I’ve been there. It’s a tough assignment.”
She’d read the news and researched enough about the war to know he spoke the truth about the horrific and deadly conditions the troops dealt with on a daily basis. “Eric loves what he does, and because of that I respect the career path he’s chosen. It’s my parents, my mother especially, who has a difficult time with him being there.”
Nathan winced. “Yeah, my mom, too. She had a hard time watching her only son go to war.”
Finished with the cheese fondue, she set her fork on her plate. “You’re an only child?”