Only in My Dreams (3 page)

“You did better out there,” she said.

“You're talking about the slow song. I think I can manage a form of hugging and swaying.”

She laughed. “Yes, you can. But I meant all of it. You're a good sport.”

“You're a great teacher.” It could've been a cheesy, flirty line, but he meant it. He'd had fun out there with her. While she was definitely sexy, Sara Archer was the sort of woman he could be friends with. Which made her
not
the sort of woman he'd pick up. Time to bring this evening to a close.

“Thanks.” She finished her lemon drop.

“You want another?” So much for concluding things. He needed to get a rein on himself.

She was quiet a moment. “Two's my limit. If I want to keep my wits about me. And since you're bad news, I think that's probably best.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and looked at the display. “It's getting late. I should go.”

He nearly exhaled with relief. “Can I walk you out to your car?” There was no harm in that, and even though he didn't like strings, he was still a gentleman.

Her gaze flickered with surprise. “Sure, that would be great.” She flashed him a smile that stirred his blood with anticipation. For what? He was walking her to her car and then coming back inside to really get his evening started.

He got to his feet and held his hand out to help her up. She slipped her fingers into his, and the connection rocked straight to his gut. He dropped a twenty on the table to pay for the beer and lemon drop and put his hand at the small of her back to walk her out.

She took a few steps then stopped. “I need to stop at the bar to settle my tab.”

“Let me.”

“You already bought me one drink. That's enough.” She gave him another smile that sparked a physical response he ought to ignore.

He watched her walk to the bar, appreciating the curve of her hip encased in jeans that looked tailored to her. He'd noted she wasn't wearing ridiculous heels. She'd come to dance and had donned footwear accordingly. Practical
and
sexy. She was dangerous, all right.

He went toward his buddies' table to grab his coat.

“Dylan,” Josh called.

Dylan nodded at Josh and Noah and the two women who'd joined them.

Josh stood up to join Dylan and turned him away from the table. And toward the bar where Sara was talking to the bartender. “You leaving?” Josh asked. “She's hot.”

“Just walking her out. I'll be back.” A sense of disappointment settled over him. He suspected his shot at a great evening would diminish as soon as she left.

Josh gestured toward Sara. “Dude. She's smokin'. And she seems into you. What's the problem?”

“I sort of know her family.” Or, at least his brother knew their family. “Cameron is good friends with her brother, Hayden Archer.”

Josh's eyes widened briefly. “As in the brewpub Archers with the six or seven kids? Great beer. And dude, that family's loaded.”

Dylan was well aware of the Archers' wealth and fame. They'd lived in Ribbon Ridge since it was a tiny prairie town, and through real estate development and smart investments, they'd become one of the richest families in the state. “Which matters . . . why?”

Josh shook his head. “It doesn't. But I get that she's a little too close to home for you. Bummer.”

Yeah, bummer
.

“Here's a radical suggestion,” Josh said, smoothing a hand over his close-cropped head. “Why not get her number and maybe take her out on a real date?”

Dylan narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Very funny.”

“I'm sort of serious. It's been three years since your divorce. Are you going to spend the rest of your life having one-night stand after one-night stand?”

Maybe not the rest of his life, but that was a long time to plan. For now, he was fine with it. No, for now, that was all he could manage. It wasn't like he led women on. He was always up front with what he wanted.

Sara turned from the bar and scanned until she saw him. She smiled and headed his way.

Dylan elbowed Josh away from him. “Keep your advice to yourself. You're not exactly a role model.”

Josh laughed. “True.”

Sara reached them, and Dylan performed the requisite introductions. They said good night, and he escorted her outside.

As soon as they hit the night air, she shivered. “Do you have a coat?” he asked, already turning to go back inside to get it.

“I left it in my car.”

“Here.” He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders.

She smiled up at him. “Thanks. My car's over there, the blue Audi.”

As they walked to her car, she pulled her key from her pocket and hit the unlock button. He opened the door for her. “Thanks for a great time.”

She turned to face him, standing in the crook of the open door. “I'm sorry it has to end.” Her features tightened very briefly, as if she regretted saying that. Then she lifted her chin and gave him a direct stare. “It doesn't really have to. Vegas Rules, right?”

Holy shit, she was going to hit on him. And why not? They'd flirted all night. Only he was going to be an asshole because he couldn't go home with her. Not Sara Archer. “I'm not sure that's a good idea.”

“It's a great idea. Let's take Vegas back to my condo.” Her eyes narrowed again in that sexy, provocative way. “But here's the thing: I'm only interested in tonight.”

Had the parking lot just disappeared beneath his feet? That was his line. The player had just been played.

She lifted her hand to her mouth. “Oh no, I've offended you. I'm so
bad
at this.”

No, she was actually quite good. His brain screamed at him to run back inside, but every other part of him was hot and ready. Eager.

“You admit this is odd for a woman,” he said, still trying to make sense of it. And maybe offering her an out in case she'd spoken in haste.

She moved her hand to her cheek. “It is, isn't it? I'm cool with it. I've always been a little odd.” She winked at him, her eyes darkening to full-on winter storm, and he was completely sucked in.

He took her hand away from her mouth and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her palm. He wanted her to know exactly what she was getting into. “You're not odd, and you're not bad at this.
I'm
bad news, remember? Just so long as you know that.” He speared her with an intense look, again giving her a chance to run if she wanted to.

She nodded, mesmerized.

He slid his hand around her waist to steady her. Never breaking eye contact, he pulled her against him. He went slowly; he didn't want there to be any regrets tomorrow. She put her hand on his shoulder, curled it up to the back of his neck, and pulled his head down. It was all the encouragement he needed. He swept his mouth over hers.

Hot desire rushed through him as their lips met. Her fingers curled into his shirt and pulled him closer. He gripped her tighter and opened his mouth over hers. She met his tongue, and then everything exploded. Sensations—light and dark and absolutely dizzying—cascaded over him. She tasted and felt like heaven.

Just when things were spiraling to the point that he wanted to press into her, she pulled back. She dropped the key into his hand. “You drive.”

Hell, she really was new at this. He shook away a tinge of hesitation. He returned the key to her palm and shook his head. “That's not how it works. I'll follow you.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, sorry.”

Damn it, what was he
doing
?

He circled his fingers around her wrist. “Look, Sara, maybe we should just call it a night. I don't want you to have second thoughts about this.”

“I'm not. I get that I'm a bit of a novice here, so if that's a turnoff for you, fine.” She spoke flatly, sounding like a completely different person.

He turned her and backed her against her car, settling his lower body against hers and slipped his hand along her neck, beneath the soft fall of her hair. “Let me be clear about one thing: I'm pretty sure you couldn't turn me off if you tried. Okay, two things. If you can go into this with your eyes wide open, then let's go. Just understand that there will be no follow-up phone calls, no dates, no repeat performance. If you're good with that, I'm driving that dark gray pickup over there and I'll follow you. What's it going to be?”

Her amazing eyes stared up at him for a long minute. His cock had hardened against her, and he silently prayed that she hadn't changed her mind. Her eyes slanted and she licked her lower lip. “Let's go.”

She pushed against him and got into her car. He had to shake himself to move. He hadn't been this turned on in a long time. He hoped she didn't live far.

“I'm close—maybe ten minutes,” she said. “There's a security gate, but if you drive in right behind me, it'll be fine.”

He nodded before turning toward his truck. Once he was settled in the cab, he quickly texted Josh that he was headed out.

Josh responded with a cocky,
I knew it. Noah has to pay up
.

Dylan shook his head as he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot behind Sara's Audi. He'd thought he would cool off on the drive, but his brain was crowded with the smooth glide of her tongue, the feel of her trim waist, and the heady scent of her perfume and whatever she used on her hair that smelled like citrus and spice.

She pulled into her development and stopped at the security gate. He watched her punch in a code and the gate slid open. As instructed, he followed close behind her then turned right as she led him to her place.

The last garage on the right slid open and she pulled inside. Dylan parked his truck on her driveway. He jumped out and went into the garage. She was just stepping out of her car, which drew his attention to her fabulous legs. They were ridiculously long for a woman who couldn't be more than five-six.

She shot him a quick glance, but said nothing before leading him around the car and up a short set of stairs to the door.

He trailed her down a hallway, which opened up into the main entry. She turned toward him and shrugged out of his coat, then hung it on a rack of hooks set beneath a mirror. “I'm clean and I take shots.”

He reached out and snaked his arm around her waist. He drew her forward until she knocked into his chest. “I'm also clean, and I bear condoms.”

She slid her arms up his chest. “Thank God, I was wondering if you'd have to run down the street to the convenience store.”

He chuckled, glad to know she would've waited rather than call the night off. “I would have stopped on the way.”

“Good to know.” She pulled his mouth down to hers, and the passion that had ignited between them in the parking lot sparked into flame once more.

This kiss was deeper, hotter than the first. He didn't bother holding back—not now. Her body tucked into his, bringing her breasts, her thighs, all the best parts of her flush against him. She tasked like lemons and sugar, delectably sweet. He couldn't get enough.

And her citrus spice scent was driving him mad. He moved his mouth to her jaw and licked a path to her ear where he tugged at the lobe with his teeth. She arched her neck, and he took the cue, spreading kisses along the slender length.

“Would you mind kicking your shoes off?” she asked.

He didn't mind at all. They were boots, so he worked his feet out of them while keeping a hold of her. “Anything else I can remove while I'm at it?”

She pulled her chest back from his and ran her hands over his shoulders. “Why not? Your shirt seems really extraneous.”

“Agreed.” He went to the top button, but her fingers were already there. He dropped his hands to the bottom button and flashed her a grin. “Meet you in the middle.”

Her answering smile was both demure and enticing at the same time, which was a first in his experience. Damn, this one could be
very
dangerous.

But there was no going back, not when their fingers met and her hands were already pushing the front of his shirt apart. He shrugged out of the garment, and she tossed it behind her.

Her brows knitted adorably as she focused on his chest. “This T-shirt is also an impediment.” She tugged the hem up, and he helped her pull it over his head. It joined his button-down and boots on the floor of the entry.

She splayed her hands over his flesh, her fingers digging into him slightly. “You must have a trainer.”

He chuckled, low and deep. “No. I work with my hands.”

She gave him a look that was pure seduction. “Really? Show me.”

His blood fired. “Bedroom?”

“Upstairs.”

“One more kiss.” He lifted her up and turned, pinning her against the wall that ran beside the staircase. Their mouths met in a tangle of lips and tongues, heat and need.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. His erection nuzzled perfectly between her legs. Damn, she felt good, even with their jeans between them. Her fingers tugged at his hair while her tongue did crazy things to his mouth. Then her lips were on his jaw and his neck, driving him absolutely insane.

He turned with her. “Hold on.” Carefully, but with fierce intent, he carried her up the stairs. There was a landing at the halfway point. He couldn't resist the wall trick again and another kiss. Her legs squeezed him tighter as they kissed, and he considered doing the deed right there. Good thing they hadn't completely stripped downstairs. In fact . . .

He tore his mouth from hers and looked down at her reddened lips, her lust-glazed eyes. “You're wearing more than me. Not fair.”

“True.” She kicked her shoes off, and he heard them drop to the carpet. “Better?”

“Hell no.”

She traced her finger down the side of his cheek and over his lips. “What do you want?”

“The shirt. And the bra.”

She put her legs down, keeping her gaze locked with his. She lifted the necklace that dangled over the front of her sexy top