SIX
Breathe, breathe, breathe, Amanda told herself. But the very sight of Decklan was both a relief and sent her into panic mode at the same time. His dark eyes slid over her, and for a brief second, she feared he was going to dismiss her. She’d unravel if he did.
Then he slowly walked across the room. All the air left her lungs. She hadn’t imagined one thing about him or the intense physical attraction he inspired. Today he wore the same type of outfit, black denim and a black tee shirt that hugged his masculine, well-defined body. She had no doubt he worked out, and she still wanted to feel those hard muscles beneath her hands. If he’d let her.
He strode up, so close she was enveloped in his delicious scent, and all her strategic female parts went on red alert. Her ni**les suddenly ached for his hands, his mouth, his teeth.
“Tell me you came here for me,” he said, not beating around the bush. At all.
She could deny it and prolong the inevitable, but why bother? “I came here for you,” she admitted.
“Any reason to stay?” he asked.
She shook her head.
A low growl of satisfaction escaped his throat, and he grasped her elbow. “Let’s go.”
When he began his dominant male routine, she fell in line. It was part of what attracted her to him, beyond his stunning looks. He wasn’t afraid to be himself, to tell her what he wanted from her, and damned if her body didn’t respond. In fact, her sex was throbbing right now.
Add to that she knew there was a heart inside of him, a man who’d lost his parents at a crucial age, who, like her, held himself apart, and their bond was formed.
The club was located on the east side of Manhattan, discreetly set inside a townhouse where nobody would think twice about what was going on there. Since she hadn’t gone into the locker rooms, she hadn’t changed into her attire. Leaving was as simple as stepping out the front door.
As soon as they walked outside, the summer heat wafted up from the sidewalk, blanketing her in stifling temperatures.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Just walking. For now.”
She nodded and noticed he slowed his longer pace to match hers. They weren’t far from Fifth Avenue, and he turned there, heading toward Central Park South, which was nearby.
It was heavy and humid, typical Manhattan in the summertime, which explained why so many locals departed for the beaches. She didn’t mind the steamy weather, happy to be with the man she’d been having erotic dreams about for weeks. She was also aroused and had been from the minute she’d looked into his hot gaze. His hand, which now rested on her back, merely increased the burn. The silence between them was as thick as the air and just as electrically charged.
She searched for conversation, for a way to get him to open up a little more, but came up empty. If she pushed him for information about himself, he’d likely do the same to her. She sighed, swallowing back frustration that her life wasn’t her own. But she’d chosen things this way, and if it meant taking care of Brad the way he did for her, she was okay with that. But she still intended to make the most of whatever time she could grab with Decklan. She deserved at least that.
So much remained unsaid. So much would have to stay locked up inside her.
She stared ahead and caught sight of a horse-drawn carriage. She remembered seeing ads for Christmas in New York City on television as a little girl, and she’d always imagined what it would be like to ride in one. She broke free from Decklan’s hold and ran toward the horse, a beautiful animal, shields over its eyes, its operator standing by its side. Behind it, a large covered carriage was attached, waiting for riders.
Decklan caught up with her, pulling her back as she got close to the large animal.
“I’ve always wanted to take a ride in one of these,” she said, feeling every inch the tourist. She didn’t care. She clasped her hands together and glanced up at Decklan. “Let’s take a ride? Please?”
Decklan took in the woman staring up at him, eyes wide and excited, and found himself unable to deny her wish. Which said something, considering he normally wasn’t the kind of man to indulge in frivolous whims or things like horse-drawn carriage rides.
“Okay.”
She clapped her hands together like a little kid, so unlike the seductress he’d originally met, and he liked that he was seeing another side of her. While she vibrated with excitement beside him, he discussed the trip with the driver, paying him for extra time, and soon he and Amanda were together in the far back seat of the carriage. The smile on her face as the driver put them in motion made the whole trip worthwhile.
“And we’re off.” She grinned and shifted next to him. As if he wasn’t well aware of her beside him already. His c**k had been at full-staff since she’d shown up at the club.
She leaned forward, taking in Central Park at night. “Look at the building lights in the distance. It’s so beautiful.”
He’d never thought of the city as beautiful before, but with her by his side, he was seeing it that way for the first time.
“I take it they don’t have these in D.C.,” he said, still amused by her reaction to something New Yorkers took for granted. And since he’d grown up here, gone to college here, and worked just outside Manhattan, he considered himself a local. He didn’t understand Lucy’s fascination with L.A. He liked the busyness of Manhattan.
“No carriages in D.C.,” she said. “But even if there were, my parents wouldn’t have let me take one.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged and shifted in the seat. “It’s complicated, but basically my mother wouldn’t consider it ladylike. The horses and the carriage would be too filthy for her.” She wrinkled her nose, indicating what she thought of her mother’s point of view. “She worships perfection.”
“Then she must love having you for a daughter,” he said, the compliment the most genuine he’d ever given.
Her harsh laugh contradicted him. “That would be a no. I was … am … everything she doesn’t want in a child, especially a girl.”
“What the hell?” What she said couldn’t have startled him more.
She let out a long sigh, and he wondered if she’d talk or clam up. On the one hand, he wanted to know everything about her, which made him almost hope she’d deflect. Insight into what made her tick was dangerous. He was relaxed, mellow, his walls down, and he was enjoying the evening. It had become way too much like a date without the degree of control he needed to keep his distance.