Free London Falling by Audrey Carlan

she’d told the story to. By how she was responding now, not many.
    She stood ramrod straight. Desire drove her to follow me, but the walls she’d dropped during dinner were firmly back up. It would be my duty to drive the wrecking ball through them and bring her back to the present. In order to do so, I was going to be bold. This woman demanded a hefty dose of truth. It wasn’t hard to tell that she dealt in honesty and no bullshit. She wasn’t expecting or wanting prophetic love declarations. Physical release was clearly the only item on the evening’s agenda.
    For now, I was on board with that plan, knowing it would never do in the long run.
    Recently, settling down again, stopping the vicious circle of bedding dozens of women, rarely ever the same woman twice, was what I was after. No longer was I interested in one night stands or women who were disposable. It hurt my pride even knowing how I’d treated too many lovely ladies as a mere shag, just a tool to get my jollies off. A change would occur now and regardless of what London said, she responded to me. Her body responded to me. Her mind responded to me. Now I’d work to get her soul to respond.
    We entered my flat and she set her things down on the leather couch. Hands on hips, she turned her head, those gray-blue eyes assessing what little I had to offer in my living space. The apartment was large with a wall of windows that overlooked the city. There wasn’t anything hanging on the walls aside from a flat screen TV. The couches were black leather and barely used. I never entertained here. With all of the women I’d bedded, she was the first I brought home. Seeing her scope out the space almost made me regret the decision.
    She turned around and her cool gaze held mine. That pink tongue slid along her lips, making them glisten enticingly. After taking a long look around she cocked her head to the side. “You need me.”
    Those words were a powerful aphrodisiac, going straight to my cock. With both hands I shuffled my fingers through my hair, a nervous habit I’d picked up during long hours in law school. “Indeed.”
    She glided toward me, one foot in front of the other, almost predatory. Without missing a stride, her fingers slipped under each tiny sparkling strap at her shoulders, pulled and then her sliver of a dress slipped to the floor as if a million tiny stars rained down from the sky all at once.
    A guttural growl escaped my lungs as she stalked toward me in nothing but a strapless white bra and high cut panties. I bit the inside of my cheek to the point of pain, trying to keep my inner Neanderthal in check.
    The desire to push her into a fireman’s over the shoulder hold, rush her to my bed and throw her down and make her mine was strong. Slow deep breaths. Get it under control I reminded myself, though I had a sneaking suspicion she wanted to catch me off guard. This woman liked being in charge. Maybe it had to do with losing her mate so suddenly and outside of her control.
    “You need me in more ways than one,” she said, referring to my lack of creature comforts and the hardening shaft tenting my trousers. She trailed her index finger down my chest to the thick buckle at the top of my slacks.
    I nodded and placed my hands on her barely existent waist. She was so tiny.
    Nimble fingers loosened the tie around my neck. It fell to the floor in a wisp of fabric. With excruciating measures, she drew out the task of unbuttoning my shirt. Smooth lips trailed light kisses along each new expanse of skin she exposed. With a little effort, she tugged and pulled my shirt from the tuck in my trousers. Cool fingers slid against the bare skin of my abdomen, continuing their journey over my pecks and shoulders. The fabric seemed to float away and fall to the floor.
    “You’re beautiful.” Her lust-filled eyes took in every inch of my skin. Her tongue retraced the same path.
    “Isn’t that my line?” I laughed but it was cut off with a moan as her teeth