Page 208 of The First Taste

I’m uneasy with the amount of attention Burn is paying me. Why is this rich guy with his carved cheekbones and his beautiful blue eyes interested in me?

He shrugs a shoulder, his gaze leaving mine and wandering down to my shoulder. He sweeps away the bit of copper-colored hair that he finds there, pushing it back with his fingers. His skin brushes against mine ever so slightly, but it causes a shock wave to run through my bloodstream.

When Burn speaks, I’m entranced. "Whatever you feel like. Spin the bottle, strip poker, naughty truth or dare. Whichever one gets you naked the soonest sounds like a winner to me."

My lips part and I lean my head back, a smile pulling at my lips. Burn smirks and slides his arm around my waist. He towers over me, pulling me close.

This guy, this handsome Greek God that I am staring at, is definitely hitting on me. I can't even believe it. When I thought of coming here and socializing, I never considered that I would be doing any more than standing on the edge of the party and familiarizing myself with pretending to be cool. But the idea that I would walk into this party and immediately hit it off with the very first guy I talk to...

It's almost unthinkable. I lick my lips and look away. Burn must sense my hesitation because he smirks and looks down at me. He snakes his hand down to my hip and squeezes me close.

He lowers his head to my ear, tickling it as he murmurs sweet words into it.

"You’re not afraid, are you? I won't bite. If I do, I promise that you’ll love it."

I flush and put my hands on his arm, ready to push him away. But he licks his lips and quirks his eyebrows, his expression amused. For some reason, my will to protest disappears.

Burn grins. "I'll take that as a yes." He lets me go for just a second to grab Olivia's wrist and give it a tug. She turns with a frown on her face. But once she takes him in, she blushes and awkwardly smiles.

"Hi." The single word is so flirtatious that I’m shocked. Olivia doesn’t flirt with men so openly, especially not men I am interested in. Maybe this is a new Olivia that I haven’t met before, a special sex club Olivia.

His lips twitch. "You were wrapped up in talking to Byron. I didn't want to draw attention away from a friend. But your friend and I are going to head into the VIP section. Are you coming?"

Olivia's eyebrows fly up. She looks at me, her gaze startled. "You are? I mean… Of course. I just didn't expect..."

The warmth of Burn's body returns as he puts his arm around my shoulder once more. He jerks his head toward the back of the room. "Come on then. We'll go together. Apparently your friend will not go anywhere without you, so..."

Olivia looks like a deer in the headlights as he escorts us toward the back of the room and into the VIP area. People move out of his way almost unconsciously. He is quite tall, but lean. I gawk as they clear a path for us.

Olivia does manage to grab my hand for a moment as Burn lets go of me to open the door. She swallows and looks at Burn, ducking her lips down close to my ear.

"Be careful with him,” she says. “He looks like trouble.”

But before she can say anything more, Burn picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. I yell and Burn claps me on the ass with a firm hand. His hand leaves a definite print on my butt, five burning fingers that sting. My face flushes, and my pulse grows erratic.

Is this what I have agreed to?

I get a glimpse of the VIP area as he carries me. The lights are very dim, and the music is slower and more sultry. A lot of black leather couches and people in various stages of undress are piled on top of them. Several waiters make the rounds in the VIP area, and Burn barks at one of them as he passes.

"You! Come with me. Bring that tray of shots you are carrying."

Burn steps into a private room of sorts, just a few couches pushed together with a tall floor-to-ceiling chrome stripper pole in one corner. He puts me down and sends the current occupants of the room away.

"Out," he growls.

To my surprise, a half-dressed guy and the two girls with him immediately get up off the couch and just hurry out of the way. "Of course, Burn." I hear the man grumble as our group slides in and takes their place on the couch.

Burn sits down and pats the spot next to him. His look is playful. "Come here, kitten. Sit with me and have a shot."

Olivia plucks at my hand, trying to pull me away. But I'm already staring at Burn, drawn in by his intense, probing gaze. Again, I wonder exactly what it would be like to kiss him. Before I know it, I am already moving toward him, with Olivia right behind me. I take the seat he picked out for me, and he smiles as I sit down. Olivia sits right next to me, her gaze watchful.

Burn pulls the silver tray out of the server's hands and passes me a shot glass with a pale yellow liquid. Olivia takes one of her own, and on the other side, the guy she was chatting up takes one too. Burn smirks as he raises the shot glass.

"To us. Let's get in trouble."

He taps his shot glass against mine and winks at me. "Bottoms up."

Looking at him, I swallow and then toss back the shot. I was expecting that the liquid in it would burn or be unpleasant. But in fact, it is the opposite. It's warm and smooth and tastes like pineapple juice. It isn't very much like alcohol at all.