Asher stepped out of the bar association meeting and checked his phone. Caroline's message from Tinder waited for him—I'll be at The Little Owl in an hour. A grin tugged at his mouth as he typed back: Perfect.
Monty appeared beside him. "Getting ready for tonight?"
Asher slid his files into his briefcase. "Just having some fun. You should try it." He winked.
"Have a good time."
Asher grabbed his bag, said goodbye, and left the office. On his way to the restaurant, he scrolled through messages and replied to the necessary ones. He opened Tinder and swiped right on a few profiles, left on others. A message popped up from one of his right swipes. His eyebrows lifted—too fast—and he read it: "You look dangerous. I've decided to take the risk."
He laughed out loud and typed: I like risk-takers. But can you handle it?
Probably not, he thought, still grinning as he pocketed his phone.
When he reached The Little Owl, he silenced his phone and walked inside. His eyes swept the dim interior—exposed brick walls, amber light from Edison bulbs overhead, low conversation mixing with jazz from the corner speakers. He spotted Caroline at a back corner table and headed toward her.
He stopped at the table. "Hey."
Caroline tilted her head, stood, and moved in close. "Hey." She kissed both his cheeks, then pulled back just enough to let her gaze travel up. "I didn't think you'd be this tall."
Asher's mouth curved. "Would you have preferred shorter?"
Caroline's eyes lingered on his face. "I like tall."
Asher held her gaze and gave a small wink. This one's going to be fun. The waiter appeared and they ordered. Rosemary and garlic drifted from the kitchen, mixing with Caroline's perfume—citrus and warm, like bergamot.
"Do you travel often?" Asher asked, watching her settle into her seat.
"For work." Caroline leaned back, relaxed, swirling her wine.
Asher sipped his wine. "Your last post was impressive."
Caroline's lips quirked. "The one in the bikini?"
"Yes." His eyes didn't leave hers and neither did hers leave his.
The waiter brought their plates and disappeared. They ate and talked about vacations, sports, easy topics that filled space without asking much. Caroline kept her body language open, leaning forward when she spoke, and Asher noticed the way she bit her lower lip between sentences. He also noticed the way she kept glancing at his hands, his forearms where his sleeves were rolled up.
"You bite your lip when you talk." Caroline's voice dropped lower.
Asher glanced at her mouth, then back to her eyes. "Didn't realize."
"You're dangerous."
"Good or bad?"
"I don't know."
"I'll help you decide by the end of the night."
Caroline's smile widened and she held his stare. The waiter returned and asked if they needed anything else. Asher glanced at Caroline. She shook her head. He thanked the waiter, who cleared the table and left.
Asher met Caroline's eyes again. "What do you want to do?"
"Want to go somewhere we can be alone?"
His mouth curved slightly. "However you want."
"We can go to my place."
"Sounds good." That was easy.
He paid the check without asking and they walked toward the parking lot. Caroline didn't wait for him to offer his arm or open doors. She walked beside him like they'd done this before. Outside, the January air was sharp and clean, breath visible in white clouds.
"I didn't bring my car."
"We'll take mine."
They got into his car. The leather seats were cold, and the engine purred to life with a low rumble.
Caroline laughed. "How much would I have to make a month to own this car?"
Asher's lips twitched. "No idea." Not that much, honestly.
Caroline talked about her trip next week. Asher listened and suggested a few places. When they reached her building, he parked and they took the elevator upstairs. The elevator hummed and the floor indicator dinged softly at each level. Caroline stood close to him, her shoulder brushing his arm. She wasn't pretending it was an accident.
Inside her apartment, Caroline asked, "Want some wine?"
"Sure."
Caroline returned with two glasses, her movements easy and unhurried, like she'd brought strangers home before and knew exactly how this worked. The apartment smelled faintly of vanilla and something floral—maybe a candle from earlier. Asher sat on the couch. Caroline sat beside him, close enough that their thighs almost touched.
Asher glanced around. "Minimalist design."
"Too much stuff makes me uncomfortable."
Asher turned his head toward her. Their eyes met. "Can I kiss you?"
Caroline shifted closer. "Yes."
Asher put his hand on her waist and pulled her toward him. Their lips met and Caroline kissed him back hard, like she'd been waiting for it. His hand moved to her neck, fingers threading into her light brown hair, and he pulled her closer. Their tongues moved together and he could taste the wine on her lips. After a while they pulled apart, both breathing hard.
"Wow." Caroline's voice came out breathy, her eyes still closed.
Asher studied her face. Yeah, I get that a lot. Caroline's eyes opened and she moved closer, reaching for his tie with unsteady fingers and loosening it. Asher watched her, not helping, just letting her work for it.
"Where were we?"
Asher pulled her toward him and eased her back onto the couch, then positioned himself above her. They kissed again, harder this time, and he could feel her arching up into him. He moved to her neck, teeth grazing her skin, and she made a small sound that went straight through him.
"Let's go to the bedroom." Caroline's voice was rough now, practical.
Asher helped her up, then pulled her close. Caroline wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her, their mouths still connected, until he found the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Caroline stood and pulled her dress over her head in one motion, no hesitation. Asher watched, taking in the black lace against her skin. She reached for his shirt and started unbuttoning it, her fingers fumbling slightly, kissing his chest as each button came undone. The shirt fell to the floor.
Caroline's hands moved over his chest and stomach, her fingers tracing the lines of muscle, nails scraping lightly, and then she kissed down from his neck, her mouth hot against his skin. "You work out." Not a question.
"Sometimes." More than sometimes. Her hand went to his belt buckle.
Asher caught her wrist and undid the belt himself. He unbuttoned his pants. Caroline unzipped them and they dropped. Asher kicked them off and stood in his boxers, already hard and obvious.
Caroline's eyes stayed on him as her fingers hooked into the waistband and she pulled them down slowly, taking her time. When he was naked she wrapped her hand around him and he sucked in a breath. Her mouth followed where her hand had been, taking him in, and his hand fisted in her light brown hair. The heat of her mouth made him close his eyes for a second before he pulled her back up.
Not yet. Not like this.
He reached behind her and unhooked her bra. It fell away and he pushed her back onto the bed, his hands moving to her hips. He pulled off the last piece of lace and she lifted her hips to help, efficient about it. The sheets were cool but their skin was hot. His mouth went to her breast, tongue circling, teeth grazing, and she arched into him with a gasp.
His hand moved between her legs and she was already wet. He slid two fingers inside her and she moaned, her hips moving against his hand without any shyness about what she wanted. He added his mouth, tongue working over her while his fingers moved, and her hands gripped his hair hard enough to hurt. Her thighs tensed around his head and she came with a cry, her whole body going tight before she collapsed back.
He moved back up and she pulled him down to kiss him, tasting herself on his lips and not seeming to care. Her hand went between them and she stroked him, then guided him to her entrance like she'd done this part before too. He met her eyes—her face flushed, light brown hair spread across the pillow, eyes heavy and wanting. She nodded and he pushed inside. They both made a sound. She was tight and wet and he had to stop for a second to keep from losing it right there.
He started moving, slow at first, but she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him deeper. "Harder."
He did what she asked. Always give them what they ask for. The bed frame hit the wall with each thrust and she didn't seem to care. Her nails dug into his back, probably leaving marks, and he fucked her harder.
She rolled them over suddenly, assertive about it, and he was on his back with her on top. She sat up, her hands braced on his chest, and started riding him. He watched her face, the way her mouth opened and her eyes closed when she got the angle right. Her light brown hair fell forward around her face and he reached up to push it back so he could see her better. His hands found her breasts and then her hips, gripping hard, guiding her to move faster.
She leaned down and kissed him, messy and desperate, and he thrust up into her. She broke the kiss to gasp and he could feel her getting close again, her body tightening around him. He was close too. He thrust harder and she cried out, her whole body shaking, and that pushed him over. He came hard, buried deep inside her, and she collapsed onto his chest.
They stayed like that for a while, both of them breathing hard and sweating, until their heart rates slowed down. She rolled off him and they lay side by side, staring at the ceiling. The room smelled like sex and her perfume and sweat. Neither of them seemed interested in cuddling or talking about feelings.
Not bad for a Tuesday.
After a few minutes, Asher sat up. "Am I dangerous?" His tone was light as he stood and started pulling on his boxers.
Caroline propped herself up on one elbow, still naked, her eyes tracing over him. "Addictive kind of dangerous."
Asher glanced back at her, amused, as he buttoned his shirt. "I should go."
Caroline got out of bed and walked over to him, not bothering to cover herself or act modest about any of it. "Will I see you again?"
"Of course."
"Thanks. That was a good night."
It was. He walked her to the door and kissed her one more time, his hand on her bare hip. When he pulled back, Caroline leaned against the doorframe. "Take care of yourself."
Asher nodded and walked out. The door closed behind him and he headed for the elevator, pulling out his phone and checking his messages. Three new matches. His mouth curved.
Tomorrow night's already looking promising.