Free Take Me by Onne Andrews Page B

ass to put her husband through medical school,
then he dumps her? It works in reverse, too.”
    “Shit. I’m sorry.”
    He shrugged again. “You still haven’t
answered my question.”
    I didn’t want to talk about my past. I’d
worked too hard to put it behind me. But his gaze penetrated my
soul, like he already knew my secrets.
    “Five years, and mine was the typical
cliché. He was doing the company’s college intern on his desk at
the office.”
    “Ouch.” His hand covered mine and squeezed
it. His offer of sympathy didn’t seem as condescending as my
friends, or former friends, had been. “Kids?”
    I gave a slight shake of my head. “No, thank
god. We talked about it. But we were both focused on our careers,
and he said it would make the traveling we wanted to do difficult,
impossible even.”
    “Let me guess. The two of you never went
anywhere.”
    “No.” I stared at Ian’s hand. His heat seeped
into my skin, joined with the energy surging along my nerves. I
wanted, needed, deserved something pleasurable in my life,
dammit.
    His lips parted. I desperately wanted him to
say, “Let’s find somewhere private.”
    The moment evaporated at the return of our
server to rattle off the evening’s specials.
    “Would you like a bottle of wine?” Ian
asked.
    I held up a hand. “No, thank you. I have a
business meeting tomorrow morning.” The semi-truth rolled off my
tongue with ease. I didn’t want Ian feeling pressured if he knew I
might be moving to Tampa. This would just be a fling. A one-night
stand.
    Except I’d never had a one-night stand in my
life.
    We ordered dinner. After our big confessions,
we stuck to small talk. Sports. Current events. This crappy
weather.
    All through the meal, we both found excuses
to touch each other. My fingertips lingered on his when we both
reached for the pepper. His calf brushed against my shin as he
stretched.
    We playfully wrestled for the bill, but the
way one of his massive hands encircled both of my wrists as he
snatched the slip of paper from my grasp layered a new edge to what
had been semi-innocent flirting.
    He didn’t release me. He watched me instead,
gauging every reaction with that piercing look.
    God, help me, I didn’t want him to let go
either. I wanted him to hold me down, rip off my panties and have
his way with me on the table.
    From the gleam in his eyes, the same scenario
ran through his mind.
    “Let’s get out of here.” His low voice left
no doubt of his intent. He released my wrists, pulled out his
wallet and dropped several bills on the table. I took his proffered
hand, and we stood.
    It took every ounce of willpower not to jump
him then and there.
    Out in the main corridor of the airport, the
crowd had noticeably thinned. The overhead fluorescents flickered
and thunder rattled the huge windows. As we reached the airline’s
Gold Club suite, the lighting blacked out. The emergency generators
kicked on. A sickly glow fill the huge hallway as Ian knocked on
the door.
    The concierge opened it and waved us inside.
A relieved smile filled her face. “There you are. Flight 246 has
been officially cancelled. Here’s your boarding passes for the
first flight tomorrow morning.” She handed us each our reissued
paperwork.
    “I was processing your hotel vouchers when we
lost power,” she continued in a rush while she retrieved our
carry-ons from the locker behind her. “I don’t have any manual
vouchers here. Would you mind waiting a moment while I get some
from our office downstairs?”
    “That will be fine,” Ian murmured.
    She darted out the door, and it locked with a
quiet snick behind her.
    Ian dropped his carry-on. The bag hit the
floor with a muffled thud. “What shall we do while we wait?” His
voice was low, husky, in my ear. His hands settled on my hips. His
clean, woodsy smell filled my head.
    I looked up at him. Under the red emergency
lighting, he looked wicked. Dangerous. “Why don’t you show me?” I
whispered.
    His