Chapter Dedication: @Sinfullycrafted.

Song of recommendation for the chapter: Putbull - Fireball. 🎶 🎶

"Hi," he said, that molten voice trickling into her ears in a warm jet of audible ecstasy. "Do you care for a refill?" He asked, nodding his head towards the empty glass still clutched in her stiff grip.

"Uh," she stuttered, unable to find the words. "Uh, yeah. . . sure."

He looked at her with Amber eyes— solid with a strong gold-ish and coppery tint; his stare intense and expectant. Lee couldn't tear her gaze away. She felt naked, stripped of defenses as the handsome man's eyes made a harsh shiver of hot energy snake through her body, coming to rest in her groin.

He cocked an eyebrow, as if expecting more. "Uh," he started, slightly awkward in the silence. "What would you like?"

"Oh," she said, shaking herself out of the trance that suddenly overtook her senses. "Vodka Cock," she blurted  before the words could halt themselves on her lips. "Coke! Vodka coke!"

The man laughed and shook his head, signalling for the bartender to fetch her another another drink. Lee sat in abashed silence as the bartender brought her a refill. This time, Lee discarded the small red straws and took huge a gulp from the glass in desperate bid to rid her mouth of the devastated taste of her impropriety.

The man tilted his glass towards her, his gaze on her as she chugged hard until her glass was half-drained, miming a cheers that had her equally ashamed at her action.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Sorry, cheers." She lifted her glass to his, touching the rims gently until the glasses chimed in unison.

"I'm Lee," she said a little forcefully, shoving her hand out like an overzealous child.

"Chris," he replied as he took her warm hand into his cold grip.

The two temperatures mingled, her hand heating his whilst his own cold grip cooled hers. Lee held it for a little too long, their eyes flirting with the dangerous sparks that no doubt flew between them.

"Nice to meet you, Lee." His half-cocked smile told her a story of just how much he wanted to get to know her.

Finally, their hands separated and she missed the cool touch of his slightly calloused skin against her own.

"Nice to meet you, too."

Chris made himself at home on the stool beside her. "What's a beautiful lady like you doing at the bar when you could be having fun?"

Lee shrugged. "Enjoying the free drink. To be honest, weddings are not my thing."

"Oh. Then what are you doing here? Are you a friend of the couple?"

"Let's just say it's a bit complicated." She chugged the remaining half of her drink. "I'm actually hiding from my friend who is hell bent on finding me a partner tonight."

Chris placed his cup on the bar. "Then you're not doing a very good job of it." He rose to his feet. "Come on. We'll lurk in the corner and stay out of sight."

As he spoke, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side of the room. While his touch was totally casual, her body responded as if he'd just ripped off her dress and threw her down on a table.

Make that a bed. . . in a very private place, because her reaction was anything but outrage.

Lee melted from the inside out. The need to be with him nearly overwhelmed her, which was five kinds of crazy. They'd only just met. Even though all they did was talk, it shouldn't have made that much of an impact on her.

Still, she found herself wanting to be with him, but in a very very non-sexual way. She wanted to be in his arms, talking and laughing. Watching him smile, listening to his voice and hearing his perspective about the world.

She wanted. . . more.

Lee shook her head. The drink was definitely getting into her head.

"Better?" He asked as they stopped in a corner of the room, close to the orchestra but out of the flow of guest traffic. "We're practically acting like spies, hiding behind this potted tree." He fingered a leaf. "Do you know what this is?"

"Not a clue. It looks real though." She allowed herself to relax. "Yes, this is much better."

He smiled at her. The answering quiver deep inside had something to do about his proximity, but not totally. Some of her reaction was just him.

What was up with that?

Before she could answer, a waiter stopped by and offered them each a glass of champagne.

"The bride and groom will be here in a few minutes," he said. "This is for the toast."

Lee pulled free of Chris and tucked both her hands behind her back. "We can't," she whispered.

Chris took the two glasses and thanked the waiter. When the two of them were alone again, he offered one of the glasses.

"We have to," he told her. "Not toasting to the bride and groom would be tacky and rude."

She bit her lower lip. "This is a very slippery slope. Okay, we'll raise our glasses, but I can't drink."

He grinned. "Right, because after you put the glass down, someone else will gladly finish off the contents? Face it, kid. You're in this for a glass of champagne."

Lee sighed. "Maybe we can find out Kitty and Jason's favourite charity and make a donation."

"You're such a lightweight," he told her as he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "I like that about you."

The quiver intensified.

A man who was probably the best man walked up to the microphone in front of the orchestra. "Ladies and gentlemen, will you please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Logan Black."

Everyone cheered as the bride and groom entered the room.

"A toast," the best man continued. "To the couple who defines love. May each day be better than the one before."

He raised his glass. The guests did the same. Lee winced, then raised hers and took a tiny sip of the illicit champagne.

Chris leaned close. "Dom Pérignon."

"Really?" She took another sip. It was really nice.

"I'll accept the champagne," she murmured, "but I'm not staying for dinner."

"If you wish. Just allow me one dance with you."

The orchestra began to play. The bride and groom stepped onto the dance floor and moved together for their first dance as a couple.

Lee ignored them and instead focused on the smooth music. It was definitely elegant than a DJ, but not really stuffy.

"It's nice," she told him. "I like the orchestra. I'm leaving."

"Not so fast." He took her glass from her and set it on a small table next to them. Then he led her toward the dance floor.

"What?" She tried digging in her heels, but it was a hardwood floor and that was not going to happen. "I can't dance."

"Why not? Everyone else is."

Sure enough several of the guests had moved into the centre of the room and joined the bride and groom. Lee decided that one dance wouldn't hurt. It wasn't as if Rainy would come and drag her out of his arms. So she relaxed into Chris' arms and found out that he had a talent in that area.

"You're good," she said after he'd twirled her around and neatly caught her. "Lessons?"

"Years of them."

He pulled her close as the music slowed in tempo.

She rested her head on his shoulder. He had one of his hands on the small of her back. They pressed together in a way that was both sensual and enticing.

"Come with me after this song," he said, speaking directly into her ear.

"Okay."

"You want to get something to eat?"

"Sure."

"Takeout?"

She raised her head and stared at him. Passion turned his eyes into the color of a setting sun over the ocean; a hot, sizzling molten gold.

He touched a finger to her lips. "I know what you're going to say," he told her softly. "That we're strangers. That it would be a mistake for a lot of reasons. If that's what you want I won't ask again. I've spent the last few minutes telling myself why I have to let this go, but I can't. I want you, Lee."

They were words that would have cracked a wall a whole lot tougher, harder than hers.

"You had me at 'takeout'," she whispered. "Let's go."

They went to his place because it was closer. The seventeen minute drive seem to last forever, possibly because Chris spent most of the time nibbling on her fingers. The combination of teeth, tongue, and lips was amazingly arousing. More than once she'd been tempted to tell him to pull over and they could just do it in the car.

They reached his house and piled out of the car. He opened the front door, pulled her inside, slammed the door shut behind her, flipped the lock and dragged her into his arms.

She went willingly, already anticipating the heat of his kiss.

He didn't disappoint. His mouth was firm and hungry and he tasted like great champagne. Even as they touched and strained and did everything they could to climb inside each other, he swept his tongue into her mouth and began a passionate dance.

He circled her, teasing, exciting. She met him with moves of her own and then closed her lips around his tongue and sucked gently. He groaned.

She was already wet and swollen. Her breast ached. Deep inside she clenched in anticipation of what was to come.

He pulled back slightly and nudge her backward. "Bed," he murmured against her neck.

Before she could get her bearings, he swept her off her feet and into his arms and started for the hallway that held four doors. He opened the third one.

His bed sat on a platform with three steps, it's theme dark and boring. Double French doors leading to a balcony that overlooked the lake, stood to the right side of the bed. Another sliding glass, leading to what looked like the bathroom, stood to left side of the room. Lights hung from the ceiling on both side of the bed; they dropped so low that its beams almost touched the nightstand.

It looked like something out of a dark fairytale. Looked almost perfect, save for the pair of jeans hanging haphazardly over the back of an armchair, and a paperback crime novel laying upside down on the cream coloured nightstand connected to the bed.

Her heart raced at the sight of that bed as he set her on her feet.

What was she doing?

"I-i need to shower first." She pulled away from him, not missing the cool look he shot her.

"Make yourself at home." Chris shrugged out of his jacket. "I'll get us a glass of water."

Then he was gone.

A/N:

Hello to both old and new readers.

I'm sorry if the updates keep popping up on you notifications, but I am trying to edit this book in time for the Wattys.

I hope I win this year.

Please don't forget to vote 🌟, comment 💬, and share 📱.