Operation Date Escape

and she’d be stripping.
    Literally.
    “Let’s get out of here,” she told him with an urgency that she felt clear down to her toes.
    His large hands curled about her waist, lifting her effortlessly up into the cab. “You never did say. My place or yours?”
    Who was he kidding? she thought as she settled onto the bench seat. At this point, the parking lot was looking pretty tempting. “Whichever’s closer,” she said, sounding slightly breathy.
    “My place it is then,” he said, closing the door.
    Pulse racing, she watched him make his way around to his side of the truck. He was taking her home. To his place. His bed.
    So much for self-control.
    He settled behind the wheel and slid the key into the ignition. Then he turned to look at her. “You sure about this?”
    “Yes.” She had never been more certain of anything in her life.
    “I just don’t want you regretting this tomorrow.”
    “Will you?”
    “Hell, no.”
    “Good. Now stop being such a gentleman and take me home. Bad boy you are tonight.”
    “Into bad boys, huh?” he asked with a grin.
    “Big time.”
    “Guess it’s my lucky night.” He started the engine and backed out of the parking space.
    “You know, one thing about bad boys is they’re a lot safer to date.”
    He pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and onto the street. “You think so?”
    “I know so. The last thing they’re looking for is a commitment.”
    “I see. A bit commitment-phobic are we?”
    He had no idea.
    “Looks like you’re going to be living on the edge tonight.”
    * * *
    “Damn,” Nanci swore, her fingers trembling as she attempted to insert the key into the lock of her apartment door.
    “Here,” Joe said, taking the key ring from her hand . “Let me.”
    What was wrong with her? She’d never been this way around a man before. Oh, she’d been sexually aroused, but this was like being sexually charged. Her entire body ached to have Joe’s hard, naked body beneath it. Above it. Behind it
    “Nanci...”
    She snapped out of her lust induced thoughts to look up into his smiling face.
    “It’s open,” he said, motioning toward the door.
    “Well,” she said, feeling like a nervous teenager, “I guess we should go in.”
    He handed her the keys with a husky chuckle. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
    He followed her inside. “Can I get you a beer or another glass of wine?” she asked with a flirty smile.
    “I’m good for the night.”
    She could just bet he w ould be. She’d already shared hot, steamy phone sex with Joe. Seductive conversation that had left her squirming in her sheets and fantasizing for more. This was the night. Spending the night in Joe’s arms promised incredible pleasure.
    “Nice place,” he said, looking around.
    “Thanks.” She carried the Styrofoam container of wings into the kitchen. “It’s small but it’s mine.” She set the box down and poured herself a glass of wine, hoping it might ease this unexpected case of nerves that had come over her. “You sure you don’t want any?”
    “Are you referring to the wine or something else?” he teased with a grin from where he lounged against the kitchen doorway.
    “Wine, of course.” S he turned away from him with a smile and opened the wing box. “Wing?”
    “I’d prefer a thigh or a breast,” he replied with the same seductively husky tone he’d used on the phone.
    She turned to face him. “I’ll see what I can do.”
    His gaze moved over her assessingly. “So when do I get to find out what your big secret is?”
    “It’s not big, just a little unusual.”
    His lips parted in a toothy grin that made her legs weak. “Now you really have my attention.”
    “And I didn’t before?” she teased.
    “Babe, you’ve had it since that night you were bouncing up and down behind the strip club, waving us over.” He pushed away from the doorframe and strode over to her, all six foot some inches of lean, mean, firefighting machine.
    She swallowed hard, her normally overabundant sexual confidence flagging as he closed the distance between them. She tried to remind herself that she was a tigress when it came to seduction. She controlled men, not the other way around.
    He reached out to cup her cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb. “I promise you’ve got my full and undivided attention tonight.”
    She reached back, dropping the half-eaten wing onto the open box lid. Then she went to wrap her arms around his neck and stopped.
    “Nanci?”
    She