Page 33 of Reckless

“Oh, I can imagine. You always look smooth on the cover ofBuzzmagazine, a different woman hanging on your arm in each edition.”

He regarded me, his face softening. “I’m not really like that, you know?”

“Oh, I don’t mean it like that. I’m sure the media exaggerates things.” I waved it off with a hand even though I wanted to ask him to elaborate.

“Yeah. They really do. Sometimes it’s very frustrating, especially when people act like they know me because of the things they read, but it’s part of it.”

“I don’t know how you can live with no privacy.”

He leaned in close, allowing his breath to tickle my cheek. “I’m having a private moment now.”

A delicious shiver raced down my neck and continued down my spine. There was something incredibly sexual about his words.

“Yeah.” My voice came out breathless. “That’s true.”

“There’s plenty of privacy here. The room has a pocket door that, once closed, will signal the waiter that the room is off-limits until it’s open again.”

The glint in his eyes wasn’t subtle, but an outright declaration. I could almost feel his hands all over me already, his mouth demanding, his fingers finding the zipper on the back of my dress.

“That’s…” I tried to take a breath, but it wouldn’t enter my lungs, “interesting. Have you used this room before?”

He met my eye, his face serious. “No. Never before.”

My stomach fluttered, and it took everything inside me to not fall into his arms. “Oh.”

“Do you want dessert?”

My mind raced, potential answers consuming me. I could have dessert, stretch our date out longer, then have him take me home. It would be the sensible thing, to protect my heart.

Or I could close the door on the world and give myself to him like I’d always thought I would. But did I want my first time to be in some sordid room who knew how many other couples had been together in?

I looked at the chaise again.

No. Not there.

“There’s a bedroom on that jet, right?”

Before I could even register what was happening, he was tossing hundred dollar bills down on the table, then pulling me from the room.

I was laughing as he jerked open the door of the limo he’d hired, but the laughter stopped once we were in the yellow car and he pulled me onto his lap. His scent, spicy and hot, consumed me, fogging my brain, making it damn near impossible to think. Goose bumps raised up on my skin as desire streaked not only to my center but through each limb.

“I’ve never needed anything this much,” he told me as we pulled up next to his plane, his bodyguard jumping out of the front to open the door.

I felt the same.

I wanted to be beneath him, wanted him to be my first. Caution be damned. It definitely wasn’t smart, but it promised to be fun.

It’d been a long time since I’d had any fun.

“Steve, wheels up ASAP,” he said to the pilot before pushing me into a seat, locking the belt around my waist.

It took forever, it seemed, to get into the air, but soon enough, the seatbelts lights dinged off, and Gage was hauling me to my feet.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, smirking playfully, ignoring the nerves that were making me feel lightheaded. Bubbles of yearning exploded through me while I waited as his green eyes took their sweet-ass time to assess me. I could already tell he wanted me, it was written all over his face.

“Are you sure?” I wasn’t certain, but as he closed the surprisingly spacious bedroom door, I thought his hands were shaking.

I was shaking myself, from somewhere deep inside.Before, I’d thought we were forever, and I’d been so certain that it would be him the first time. I guessed that could be the reason I’d never taken that step. But now I wanted to. I knew he’d be leaving me behind again, but when he did, I wanted to have this night.