'Heads!  He's mine.'

'I got heads.'

Tricia and Stacy argued simultaneously.

'How the hell can the both of you get heads?'  Haley questioned irritatedly.

'I called heads.  Look,' Stacy pointed to the coin on the table.

'I used my own coin,' Tricia pouted, exposing the coin in her hand.

'You're supposed to use one coin.' Hayley's eyes narrowed accusingly, 'for that very reason.'

'Seeing I saw him first, I'll take him,' Tricia negotiated.

'Maybe Haley should have him then,' Stacy refuted.

'No!  I am not going to flirt with a total stranger!'  Haley rejected, even though every nerve cell was humming for some action with the good looking stranger.

'You see.'  Tricia sulked.  'Haley does not want him, so I can have him.'

'Come on Haley, you do this for a living!' Stacy challenged.

'I offer professional counselling for a living,' Haley emphasized.

 'But he is so HOT,' Tricia groaned in agony.

Haley looked over the tall, dark stud for the second or was it the third time.

Cliché...but no doubt he was HOT.

 She was not usually such a brazen seductress, but damn it, the man was plain and simple... irresistible

'He can be material for the next chapter of your book, Haley,' Tricia prompted.

'Yeah,' Stacy chipped in:

'HOW TO GET A STUD FROM THE BAR ...  INTO YOUR BED'

Haley looked over at their other friend Elizabeth, the rational one of the bunch.  She had not offered a single comment on the conversation.  'And you don't have a say on material to collaborate for my next chapter Lizzy?'

Lizzy smiled.  She lifted her glass to her lips and drank before she answered.  'He does look amazingly sexy Haley, you have to admit.' She breathed a sigh.

Haley stole another glance at the sexy stud seated at the nearby table.  He was definitely oozing with the X Factor.  Was wealthy too, judging from the chunky platinum chain on his right wrist; and the classic platinum time piece on the other.  The silvery-white band glittered from the rays of the ceiling lights.  Her eyes swept assessingly over the man's body.  His ostentatious suit clung to his superb body, beautifully emphasizing his bulging muscles.  His index finger was swyping across the screen of his smartphone.

'He's calling his wife.' Haley continued ogling him.

'He's doesn't have a ring,' Tricia countered.

'He's calling his date then,' Haley rebutted.

'Just go over to him,' Stacy instructed, shoving at Haley's shoulder.

'No!' Haley dug her heels in, taking a gulp from her wine glass.  'What if he's gay?' 

Haley was astounded at herself contemplating the ludicrous challenge, but her wanton body was already on a predetermined flight path and locked on its intended destination.

There was a burst of laughter from the girls.  They were drawing attention from other patrons at the very expensive and upmarket bar, but not from him. 

'If he is gay,' Stacy whispered, 'I will eat my thong.'

That incited more robust laughter from the girls.  Haley squirmed in her seat, caught herself sighing as she continued to scrutinise the hunk.  He was lifting his drink to his very kissable lips.  She had to confess even if only to herself, she had a dying itch to find out what kissing him would feel like.  She moaned softly, pressing her thighs tightly together.

'We're wasting time,' Tricia moaned.  'Haley is not interested.'

'Okay,' Stacy dragged out.  'Let's toss again.'

'Tails!'

Tricia and Stacy chorused again.

'I called it first,' Stacy raised her voice.

'No I called tails first,' Tricia objected.

 Haley blanked out the argument between her two friends.  A demon took over her body, filling her with raging lust.  She stood up, hastily gulped the contents of Lizzy's glass, seeing her own was empty.  When did her glass get empty?  She cringed, wrinkling her face at Lizzy's potent alcoholic beverage.  Lizzy winked naughtily as Haley sashayed in the direction where the stud was seated.  She ignored the open-mouthed gasps of Tricia and Stacy.  They stopped arguing.  In slow motion, their covetous eyes followed Haley to her purposeful destination.

Haley hovered to the right of his very broad shoulder.  She gulped down an awkward breath.  He did not budge an inch nor look up...surely he knew she was there!  She racked her brain on how to get his attention. 
Um -- hey --- my name is ---.  Screw that!

'Are you expecting company?'  Haley stood next to the vacant seat in front of him.

'Me synchoreíte?' ... Excuse me?

Greek!  Oh – la – la.  Good no complications.  He should be returning to his home at some stage soon.

She should have guessed he was European from the cosmopolitan look, olive complexion, dark hair, and expensive suit.  She longed for  another drink.

'Do you speak English?'

His mesmerizing gray eyes softened.  'Yes.'

'Are you with somebody?'

Haley had to wait an awkward few moments.

'I was waiting for my banker.  He just stood me up,' the accented voice tantalized her eardrums.

She did a silent fist pump.  'Are you seeing somebody?'

 The man leaned back.  Unhurriedly lifted his drink and sipped.  His gray eyes raked over her critically.  She sure asked a hell of a lot of questions, though quite frankly he had not much to be critical about.  She was delicately pretty with a beautiful angular face, captivating hazel brown eyes, fringed in luxurious dark lashes; sensuous lips; glowing brunette curls shaping her face and shoulders. 

She was tall.  Unquestionably feminine.  She wore a soft designer business suit.  He could tell she was in good shape, with a narrow waist and ... shapely curves.  He liked her confidence too.  All the time he was assessing her, she had not blinked once. 

She was propositioning him... no doubt about it.  English women!

'I prefer to do the pursuing, Miss ___' his eyes held hers.

She ignored his prompting for her name and sat down.  Her eyes met his challengingly.  'And I like to do my own propositioning ... if I like what I see.'

He smiled emptied his glass, signalled the bar tender.  'What would you like to drink Miss ___?'

Haley smiled at the waiter.  'Your most expensive champagne please.'   She wasn't paying.  Her eyes filtered to the Greek.  Haley was very pleasantly surprised that he merely nodded at the waiter.  She longed to look over her shoulder at her friends.  She knew their eyes would be glued to where she was, waiting for a signal from her.  A wink; or a secret thumbs up.

'There you go,' the bar tender returned with an expensive looking bottle and two glasses.

'Thank you,' Haley smiled.

'What are we celebrating?' He enquired conversationally as the waiter filled their glasses.

'Nothing.  I love expensive champagne, especially when I'm not paying.'  She purred, reaching for one of the glasses.

The Greek placed his hand over her glass.  Haley looked up curiously. 

'I know two things about you,' he delivered a megawatt smile.  'You are very direct, and you don't take a hint,' he delivered in fluent English.

She knew he referred to her twice ignoring his attempt to know her name.

She smiled concedingly.  'Haley Stafford.  Some acquaintances call me ---.' 

He threw his head back.  His spontaneous laughter reverberated around the noisy bar. Haley  smiled again.

'By acquaintances, do you mean the threesome to our left staring unabashedly in our direction?'

Haley didn't look.  She smiled awkwardly.  'You can tell?' 

Good heavens!  Did he know she had been ogling him...open –mouthed for almost half an hour since he strode in like a high energy storm.

'What's your name?'  Haley asked.

He smiled again.  'Xanthus Laskaris.'

Good lord he says that as if he's saying "Make love to me."

'Yes please ___.'

'Scusi?'

'I mean thank you for the drink.'  She grabbed the glass and mentally reminded herself not to gulp it down.

'English is your first language, is it not?'  She heard him chortle.

'What's that supposed to mean?'  She held the glass close to her lips, felt the bubbles tingling the tip of her nostrils.

'You mix up your phrases,' his eyes locked with hers teasingly.

Haley felt his eyes hypnotising, she could not pull away.  The room was crowded, noisy, smoke filled but, all her senses picked up were his overwhelming presence, his muscular frame, his powerful cologne, his sheer magnetism.

'Would you like another?'

Haley blinked.  When had she emptied her glass?  Damn she better start keeping count.  How many had she already had?  Didn't matter, she felt as sober as a judge and she was still thirsty.

'Yes please.'

'Ah, that phrase again.'  He nodded at the bar tender.  Her glass was filled again.  His was still half full.

'You knew what I was thinking earlier?'

'Was I wrong?' He challenged not believing that he was.

Her insides melted.  To hell with drinking like a lady.  She swallowed her champagne in one greedy gulp.

Haley stood up.  'Let's go,' she invited.

Xanthus'dark eyes smouldered like a volcanic spring, locking with hers.   He rose to his majestic six foot frame. He was rather more imposing towering over her.  She felt a thrill of anticipation surge through her and only barely heard the squeal of delight from her friends' table when Xanthus left his unfinished drink, carelessly threw some notes on the table and led her outside by the elbow. 

      'Good night --- Ms. Stafford.'

The bright smile on Haley's face froze.  'What!'

She searched his eyes to see if he was joking.  Surely that was a flare of desire flickering in his eyes.  She had noticed the way his eyes raked over her in the bar.  He had been interested ... hadn't he?

'I told you I prefer to do the pursuing --- Ms. Stafford.'

'So pursue me then, damn you,' she cried out passionately.

He smiled lazily, lifted his hand, allowing the back of his fingers to caress her cheek.  'I'm not easily swayed.' His eyes became serious, ignoring the tingling sensations still burning his fingers that had caressed her cheek.  He dropped his hand, turned and began to walk away from her.

'You can't be serious!' 

Her fingers circled his wrist refusing to let go.  He looked down at her petite hand tightly holding on to his wrist.  Haley refused to back down.  Her eyes were unwavering.  She could not believe her uncharacteristic behaviour, chasing a total stranger like ... a dog on heat.

His lashes closed briefly.  He really could not stay.

Why the hell is she making this difficult?  I need to leave to Athens tonight.

Being the eldest son, he had unavoidable responsibilities.  He was due at a family wedding and he was not in the mood for a confrontation with his overbearing mother.

'You're actually going to stand me up?' Haley whispered, lifting her beautiful wholesome face up to his.

He chuckled softly.  Why was he humouring this woman?  He did not allow any woman to make or change his plans.  'By definition we did not have any agreed plans,' he reminded her. 

'Maybe not spoken ones,' she whispered, boldly leaning into him. 

His eyes darkened locking with hers.  Theós! She was a vixen.  He sucked in a breath of air into his lungs.  His head dipped as his lips possessed hers in a demanding kiss.

Haley's groan was captured in his mouth.  His kiss was both aggressive and sensual at the same time.  Her fingers sunk into his dark tangled hair.  His kiss was everything and more than she imagined it would be.

'I have an apartment a block away from this pub,' he murmured in his thick husky accent.

'Yes,' she smiled victoriously.  

It made sense he would have an apartment nearby.  They were at one of Manhattan's most expensive bars on East 6th Street.  The close proximity of his place would allow her more time with Xanthus the stud.  She laughed softly when Xanthus whispered in her ear.  Damn his accent was so sexy.

Xanthus whipped out his mobile  and spoke in rapid fire Greek. 

Allagí̱ tou schedíou. Tha petáxei éxo̱ to pro̱í' ... Change of plan.  We fly out in the morning.

Xanthus waited for the acknowledgement and cut the call.  His pilot was used to events altering his boss's schedule.  Usually it was business meetings running over schedule that altered his flight plans.    He allowed women to warm his bed but they never dictated his time or diary.  This was a first for the powerful and wealthy Xanthus Laskaris.

       'Whoa! Two orgasms in succession, that's a first for me,' Haley marvelled.  'You are amazing,' she lifted the covers to get up.

'We're not done,' he pushed her back onto the soft cushioned pillows.  Her auburn curls spilled over the pillow like a silk curtain.

'We're not?'  She was still panting.  Muscles were aching in her sweat glistened body.

'No.' Xanthus tossed one heavy leg across her thighs. 'We've just begun,' his lips pressed on her shoulder caressingly.

Haley laughed breathlessly. It must be after midnight.  She had an early day tomorrow.  She had not planned on spending the entire night with him.

'Seriously where do you get the energy from?' 

He was just not, the Viagra type of guy.  This stud was in a class of his own. And wow he'd given her two sensational earth shattering orgasms.

He lifted his head.  'Did you have dinner?'

'No actually?' All thought of nourishment had gone out the window when she'd laid eyes on the Greek stud.

'Let's see what we have.'  He strode off the bed, comfortable in all his naked glory and there was a lot to glory about.

Haley propped herself up on his pillows.  She lifted the cool sheets up to her chest, contemplated texting her buddies to fill them in on her orgasm filled adventure.

'I'm afraid all I could find was this,' Xanthus strolled in with a half full bottle of red wine, a tray filled with cheese, biscuits and juicy green grapes.

'It will have to do.  I'm famished.'  Haley leaned over.  She tucked into the biscuits and cheese.

They ate in silence until the tray was empty.  Xanthus popped a grape into her mouth.  'We will share the wine,' his gray eyes smiled devilishly.

Haley munched on the sweet grape.  It was almost as tasty as his breathless kisses. 

Stop.  You should go home.

'Had enough?' He pushed her onto his pillow.

'Xanthus, I should go home.'

'Already?'  His tongue danced down her throat.  His lips roved down to her breast, captured one pink nipple.

'Xanthus,' she groaned, pulling him onto her body.

Three orgasms later, close on four in the morning, Haley insisted on leaving.

'I want your number,' he demanded, walking her to the door.

'Perhaps not,' she suggested.  She did not want to get attached to him and then he leaves.

'I want to see you again,' he insisted.

Hell if a man -god can bless her with three orgasms in one evening, why the hell not?  Most women don't even get that in a week or a month!  Perhaps she could play ...without getting herself burnt.  Haley rattled her number to him.  She was impressed.  A man that listens ... She had not needed to repeat it.  She was surprised when he tapped a few times on his mobile and then her own cell ring tone was belting out a current pop song.

'That's my number.  Save it,' he instructed, kissing her on the lips.

'Sure,' she returned, as she finished dressing.  It was too late --- early to think of a smart comeback.

She should feel tired.  She should feel like she was ready to pass out, instead she was fresh, alive, on top of the world.  A refreshing hot shower and she would be ready for the new day.
                          
                            -                   
                                                                          -end chapter one-