Need You Tonight Read Online Free PDF Page B

stranger.”
    “So this is a date?”
    He took one of the slices of bread, placed a piece of cheese atop it, and then held
     it in front of her lips. She opened her mouth and let him feed her a bite of bread
     and cheese. He was so close now, she could see the flecks of green mixing with the
     blue in his eyes. Somehow he managed to both intimidate and cajole in one simple look.
     “It’s whatever you want it to be, Contessa.”
    The salty cheese hit her taste buds, and she had to remind herself to chew, to breathe.
    “Good?” he asked.
    She nodded, though the movement felt stiff. “Manchego. One of my favorites.”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “A woman who knows her gourmet cheeses but doesn’t know how
     to use a bread knife? Interesting.”
    She was tempted to refute that claim, tell him it was a lucky guess, but she stopped
     herself. No more lying.
    “I don’t want this to be a date,” she blurted out.
    His forehead creased. “What?”
    “I don’t want this to be a date,” she repeated. “Dates suck. It’s two people telling
     each other what they think the other person wants to hear and hoping they get it right.
     It’s a farce.”
    He leaned back against the table as if giving her space to voice her opinion. “Okay,
     so what would you like this to be?”
    “Let’s make this an un-date. No fronts, no lies, and no ridiculous promises to call
     the next day. You didn’t invite me up here because you think I could be some perfect
     match for your future. And I didn’t come up here for that either.”
    He’d been watching her with equal parts amusement and intrigue, but now a flicker
     of something else edged in, something that made her insides flip over. “So what did
     you come up here for, Contessa?”
    Well, here it was, her opportunity to put her money where her mouth was and be blatantly
     honest. He was probably going to run, but so be it if he did. “A year ago, I walked
     in on my husband cheating with my best friend. Instead of even pretending to be sorry,
     he proceeded to give me a long list of my faults and told me to get used to his affairs.”
    Sharp disapproval flashed over Van’s features.
    But she didn’t let his reaction stop her. She needed to lay it all out there. “I left
     him, my life blew up, and now I’m putting the pieces back in place. I’m not looking
     to date anyone. I’m not looking for love or even a boyfriend. I came up here tonight
     because I haven’t felt desire in a long time, and you made me feel that in the hallway.”
    “Contessa—”
    She took a deep breath. “I came up here to use you, Van. To
be
used. I need a night off from . . . all of it.”
    The shift in his expression was enough to have any remaining words shriveling in her
     throat. All traces of his sympathy over her story had vanished and in its place, unadulterated
     lust took root. “Text your friend and tell her you’ve found a ride. I’ll have your
     keys sent down to her.”
    The command in his voice rippled through her. “But I—”
    He pushed off the table and stood in front of her, cupping her chin. “You told me
     your reasons, now do you want to hear mine? I brought you up here because from the
     moment you walked into the restaurant tonight, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.
     I would’ve sat through a cooking class about dishes
I
created just to be next to you. Let me give you your night off.”
    She was jittery in his grasp, her body literally vibrating with the need for him to
     touch her more. “But the cooking class still has two hours left. We could—”
    He pressed a finger against his lips. “I promise I’ll need more than two hours. I
     haven’t even given you your first lesson yet.”
    Her heart was thumping and blood was roaring through her veins, heating all the best
     spots. She couldn’t do this, right? She didn’t even know this guy. Considering a quickie
     with him had been risky enough. But sending her ride home and spending the whole night