“Kind of?” Heat crawled up her cheeks as she looked out at the crowd, her eyes searching for Alana. She wanted to signal to her friend that she was about to make good on her plan.
“Yeah. You’re also kind of hot.” His words smoothed over her like a caress. “Okay, that’s a total lie. You’re insanely hot.”
“And you’re kind of smooth.” Her voice came out far steadier than she’d expected. “I bet that works on a lot of girls.”
“Is that your way of saying it’s not going to work on you?”
The last third of her wine mocked her. She brought the glass to her lips and finished it in one smooth gulp. “I didn’t say that.”
“You want me to work for it?”
“Damn straight.”
His arm snaked around her waist, drawing her closer. “That I can do. How about I take you for a proper drink?”
Could she really do it? Part of her resisted the idea of going for a drink with a man she didn’t know, but her attraction to Aiden sizzled, and no warning bells had sounded thus far.
“I’m a red belt in Tae Kwon Do.” She tilted her head up to him. “And I know a lot of scary people.”
“Pink, I’m not going to do anything that you don’t want me to do. If at any point you decide to call it a night, I will organize a cab and see that you get home safely.” His breath was warm against her neck as he lowered his head. The scent of aftershave and wine mingled in her nostrils. “If you don’t want to leave... I’m more than happy to oblige there, too.”
A delicious shiver ran up the length of her spine. “I’ll take you up on that drink.”
“Do you need to tell Alana where we’re going?”
“I’ll text her.”
Aiden’s hand found the small of her back as he escorted her out of the cocktail party and into the lobby of the hotel. Alana was nowhere to be seen. Her friend would understand, but she texted her anyway.
“Tell her my name is Aiden Odell, room two-thirty-two,” he said. “We’ll be having a drink in the Lion Lounge if she wants to come find you.”
Typing with her thumbs, Quinn sent the details through to Alana. Slipping the phone into her bag, she swallowed down any reservations and allowed Aiden to guide her toward the dimly lit bar on the other side of the hotel lobby.
Two hours later they were sitting on a leather sofa, surrounded by soft lighting designed for intimacy. They were also several Scotches down and in midargument about who was a more avid gamer.
“I got my first console at six years old,” Quinn said, gesturing with her glass, the last bit of liquid swishing precariously up the side. “I’ve kept every single one since then.”
“Console collecting does not make you a master gamer.” Aiden shook his head, his dark curls looking slightly wild and out of control.
Her fingers ached to run through them, to tug them until his head was right where she wanted it. “If you had one in your hotel room, I would prove to you right now that I could kick your ass in any game.”
“That’s a bold statement, Pink.” He leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs, nursing a crystal tumbler in both hands. “But it’s complete crap.”
“It is not!” She pursed her lips and tried to be mad. But truth was, she loved the banter and the fact that he challenged her. Most male gamers wouldn’t even bother; they’d assume she wasn’t their equal and move on.
“It is.” He rolled the glass between his hands, warming the last of his drink. “Because if I took you up to my room, the only thing you’d be playing would be me.”
Her sex clenched and she pressed her thighs together, failing to dull the throbbing. “How can you be certain I’m not going to thank you for the drinks and then leave?”
“I can’t.” He grinned, a wicked glint lighting up his vibrant eyes. “But if you’re half as attracted to me as I am to you...well, then it’s going to be fun.”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
He leaned back in his seat, finished off his drink and set it down on the mirror-finish table in front of them. “So fill me in. You don’t have to tell me your name or what you do. Or anything serious.”
“A random fact, then?”
“Yeah, something you think other people wouldn’t care about.” He rolled up the sleeves of his cotton shirt, exposing arms smattered with dark hair.
His denim-clad thigh sat inches from hers, and heat pulsed between them. Over the past couple of hours, she’d kept her space and he hadn’t pushed, hadn’t tried to make a direct move. But his words and actions were heavy with intent, each naughty suggestion pushing her further and further toward deciding to go upstairs with him.
“I’m an only child,” she said, figuring that such a benign detail was probably safe to share. “And I prefer it that way.”
“You never wanted a brother or a sister?”
“I don’t like sharing my toys.” She laughed. “I do things my way, on my terms.”
“Yeah, I got that impression.” His eye raked over her. “I have a brother and a sister.”
The darkness in his tone made her pause, but the friendly smile sprang back into place. “So how do you know Alana? Are you a tech reporter, too?”
She shook her head. “We went to school together. When she started her site, I offered to review games for her.”
“I bet she gets a lot of inside information.”
“Yeah, she does. Lots of companies send her prerelease stuff, and she’s always getting invited to parties like this.” Quinn smirked. “Then she drags me along and bails when a story comes up.”
Aiden paused and took a swig of his Scotch. “I’m surprised she’s not looking into the game engine Third Planet is building. There’s been a lot of buzz about that lately.”
Game engine? “I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“Really?” He cocked his head. “Apparently, it’s going to revolutionize the way games are designed.”
“I guess she would be interested in that.”
A dimple formed in his cheek as he smiled. “Okay, that’s enough nerd talk from me.”
“Don’t stop on my account.” She held up a hand and laughed. “I’m all for nerd talk.”
“What if I want to talk about you?” His eyes raked over her, hot and steady, lighting a path from her cheeks straight down to her sex.
“I don’t really enjoy talking about myself. Call it a lesson learned.”
His lips pressed into a line. “Sounds like you’ve got a bad story there.”
Was he genuinely concerned? Probably not. After all, they didn’t really know each other. She hadn’t told him her real name, where she worked or lived...but those were her rules. A one-night stand would be fine because she could call it quits when she wanted, and Aiden couldn’t come after her if he didn’t have her name.
“I’m a big girl. I can look after myself.” She squared her shoulders. “So, two siblings, huh?”
“Yeah, but I’m not good at sharing, either.”
“Maybe we won’t be compatible, then,” she said with