Playing With Fire

“Gimme a kiss,” she told him, and took him by the jacket lapel and pulled him close. He kissed her on the lips, a peck that lasted a few seconds.

Zienna pouted a little when he eased back. “That’s all?”

“I don’t want to ruin your lipstick.”

“Okay then,” she said, giving him a you’re-missing-out look. He hurried to the door and opened it for her. As Zienna sat, she deliberately pulled her dress up on her thigh, allowing him a glimpse of her bare legs.

“Damn,” he uttered.

Then he got into the vehicle beside her and gave her a wink before driving off. Zienna frowned slightly. She had hoped... Well, she’d hoped for at least a little grope in the car before Nicholas turned his attention to the road.

She couldn’t have looked more seductive. Her makeup was perfect, the deep auburn shadow on her eyes meant to accentuate the red in her outfit. And she was wearing a pair of four-inch Louboutin leopard print pumps. Even her purse matched—leopard print with red at the edges. Not to mention that she’d changed her toe polish after work to make it a cherry red.

Nicholas had always told her that he loved her in red, and she’d been hoping for a more carnal reaction from him.

She offered him a smile. When he grinned back at her, she took his hand and lifted it to her breasts.

“Easy, babe,” he said. “I don’t want to get to the restaurant with a throbbing erection.”

Zienna kissed his hand, then released it, inwardly disappointed.

Nicholas was gorgeous and ambitious and a gentleman...but sometimes she wished he’d be a bit more spontaneous. She wouldn’t mind if they got a little hot and bothered in the car and missed dinner altogether. But she knew that wasn’t something Nicholas would do, because he’d already made reservations for the night.

Sex before dinner wasn’t in the plans.

“You really look great tonight,” he said to her. “Smoking.”

“Thank you, baby.”

He must have picked up on her disappointment, because he said, “You’re not upset, are you?”

“Upset? Why?”

“Because...” Now he reached for her leg, trailing his fingers along her exposed thigh.

Zienna glanced at him, wondering if he was going to do something out of character.

“You think I don’t want to touch you?” he asked. “Quite frankly, I’m tempted to forget dinner and do you right here.”

Now Zienna beamed. Nicholas had come to a stop, so she eased her body across the front seat and kissed him. This time he didn’t pull away, and they continued until a horn blared from the car behind them.

Both of them giggled, and Nicholas began to drive again.

“And so you know,” Zienna began, “this is that lipstick that’s guaranteed not to smudge off. During dinner, or kissing...”

“Ah. Well, good to know.”

“I’m happy to forgo dinner...well, at least in a restaurant. Because I definitely want to eat something else.”

Lust was already consuming her, and she wanted nothing more than to get naked with him. Have wild sex tonight, unlike the pleasant sex they’d had the night before.

Nicholas’s groan was low and throaty. “What did I tell you?”

His eyes went downward to his lap. Zienna followed his gaze and saw the evidence of his desire for her straining against his black dress pants.

“Then let’s turn around.”

“You know we have reservations for tonight. And I always hate when people skip out on reservations.”

“I know....”

“Plus I have a surprise for you.”

Now her eyes lit up. “You do?”

He wriggled his eyebrows. “Yep. Besides, I love the idea of wanting you so badly during dinner that I can hardly stand it. It will make it that much better when we finally get home.”

He had a point. And maybe the sex would be even hotter after sitting through dinner for a couple hours.

She could wait.

Nicholas turned on the car stereo, and the sound of smooth R&B began to play. Zienna looked out the window as he continued to drive, wondering what the surprise was.

She liked what he’d said about keeping the sexual tension between them going through dinner. Maybe they could even do something a little risqué, like have sex in the backseat of his car. Something they had never done.

She was falling in love with Nicholas, she knew. But while he satisfied her sexually, she kind of wished he was a bit more...

Well, wild.

Typically, when they got it on, it was at his place and in his bed. He’d never specifically said that he didn’t want to dirty the leather sofas, but Zienna had to assume that was his issue, because even when they got hot while on a sofa, he always made sure to lead them to the bedroom before they got naked.

It wasn’t a big issue, but Zienna would enjoy a bit of variety.

At Café Tagine, Nicholas left his car with the valet, took Zienna’s hand and headed inside. The moment guests entered the door, they felt as if they’d stepped into Morocco. Lively berber music floated from the sound system. The hostess, a gorgeous woman with olive skin and long, dark hair, greeted them with a bright smile. She was dressed in a jeweled black halter and a long, flared gold skirt adorned with a top layer of strips of black beaded material.

“I have a reservation,” Nicholas announced. “For Aubrey.”

“Ah, yes,” the hostess said. “Follow me.”

Zienna loved the architecture and ambience of Café Tagine. There were archways designed to look like the top of a temple. Delicate gauzy swags in bright reds and oranges divided the seating areas.

She was grinning as she peeked past the privacy swags and saw various diners. Earlier, she had hoped to simply forgo dinner and do Nicholas, but now she was happy that they were here. She really loved the romance and elegance of this place.

The hostess stopped, then gestured for them to enter the draped-off area that housed their table. Zienna stepped in first—and then stumbled in her four-inch heels, toppling sideways.

“Whoa,” Nicholas said, instantly reaching for her before she hit the floor. He pulled her upright against his hard body. “I gotcha.”

Zienna’s heart began to pound erratically. This couldn’t be happening.