One Night With A Seal: All Out

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Who knew knees could be sexy?

He listened to what sounded like a report on a week’s worth of baking with half an ear as he settled one hip on a stainless-steel table and waited for her to notice him.

Eighteen seconds.

It took her just over a quarter of a minute to turn around. She made a little choking sound, gulping down the last of her sentence before giving him a little finger wave.

Zane waved back with the cupcake, liking the way her eyes lit up as she smiled.

“Um, I really should get to decorating now,” she said into the phone, her eyes tracking Zane’s moves as plucked off a chocolate curl and popped it into his mouth. “I’ve got that wedding cake to finish by two.”

She rolled her eyes, giving the won’t-shut-up hand signal.

Impressed with what he’d tasted so far, Zane broke off a chunk of the chocolate shell and licked the sweet frosting from the edge.

“Delicious,” he murmured before offering her the piece. When she shook her head, he popped it into his mouth. Damned delicious. He licked a smudge of frosting off his thumb. When her eyes blurred, he did it again.

By the time she hung up the phone, they were both pretty obviously turned on.

“You think you can seduce me with chocolate?”

Points to her for being quick on the uptake.

“As a matter of fact.” Zane swept his finger over the side of the cupcake’s frosting, scooping up a dab of chocolate. His eyes locked on Vivian’s, he licked it off, grinning when her pupils dilated.

“I thought we were meeting at six,” she said breathlessly, her eyes shifting from him to the door that led to the bakery, then back again.

He grinned, not sure why it amused him to make her so nervous.

“I wanted to stop in for cupcakes,” he explained. “And from what I’m tasting, yours are definitely delicious.”

“If you think my chocolate cupcake is amazing, you should taste my vanilla cream,” she teased, her smile widening into a teasing grin.

A niggling reminder tapped again, telling himself he knew her from somewhere.

“Are you attending the reunion?” he asked, knowing he’d never get another taste of frosting if he admitted that he knew her from somewhere but couldn’t remember where.

“Nope, no reunion for me. But I’ll try to catch a few of the events.”

Events?

“What events?”

She tilted her head to look behind him at the clock and gave a wide grimace before he could puzzle it out.

“It totally bums me out to say this, but I have to get to work,” she told him, pulling out a sexy little pout that made him want to lick that bottom lip.

“I should get going, too.” After all, he had to see his mom, meet the guys, win a challenge. “You probably have some cupcakes to bake.”

“Actually—” she wet her lips “—I’m playing with frosting today.”

Hot damn.

She dipped her finger into the bowl, drawing out a scoop of fluffy white frosting and holding it high.

Zane tore his eyes off her face long enough to glance at it, then had to look again.

“Is that glittering?”

“Mmm, edible glitter in the frosting. I think it adds a little something special.” Her eyes not leaving his, she swept her tongue over her finger, licking off half the frosting and sending a shaft of heat through Zane’s body so hard and fast that his jeans almost ripped.

“Want to taste?”

Instead of letting him lick her finger, though, she gave him her mouth. Soft, wet and tempting, her lips teased, her teeth scraped. The kiss went from playful to incendiary in a sweep of her tongue.

Then, way too soon, she pulled away, leaving behind the tempting flavor of vanilla and a little something special.

“Was that to hold me until drinks?” he asked, his hands rubbing circles over the soft fabric covering her hips.

“It’s just something to keep in mind. You know, in case you meet anyone or hear anything that makes you tempted to skip out on our date.”

“What I might hear?” He grinned. “You have a rep I should know about?”

“You’re one to talk about reps.” Vivian laughed, the sound both sexy and sweet at the same time. “It’d take me a lifetime to even work up to a tenth of your reputation, Mr. Bad Boy Bennett.”

“Good point. So what am I going to hear?”

Her gaze narrowed, those big brown eyes intense as she studied his face. But instead of answering, she shook her head.

“Just keep that kiss in mind,” she suggested.

As if there was any chance he’d forget.

“What’re you doing later?” he asked, keeping his voice low. No point in making it easy for the Kewpie doll to stir up gossip.

“Later, when?”

“Later, after we meet for drinks.”

A smile curved those full lips. It was a tempting sort of a smile that sent a hot shot of desire straight though his body. God, he couldn’t remember ever flashing so hot, so fast, for a woman before.

“I have some chocolate to replace,” she said, running her tongue over her bottom lip, then lifting one arched brow. “You remember the chocolate from last night?”

“In vivid detail, as a matter of fact. I even dreamed about a few of those chocolates.”

“Actually—” she leaned in closer so her words were a breath of air over his skin “—a few of those chocolate designs were based on my very own lingerie.”

He thought of the various odes to sexy underthings he’d seen the night before. Oh, yeah. Even hotter.

“How about I help you with that? Since it’s my fault your other batch was ruined.” This might be the first time he’d ever used chocolate as a ploy to get a woman naked.

“Are you any good?”

“Babe, you have no idea.” Zane’s smile turned wicked. “I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

Zane wanted to show her here and now just how satisfied she’d be, but he could hear the clock ticking behind him.

“Tonight,” he promised, heading for the exit with the chocolate cupcake in hand. Oh, yeah. One hand on the door, he glanced back. “Just one question.”

She hitched herself onto the desk, one leg crossed over the other so her skirt fluttered at her thighs as she swung her foot.

“Only one?”

His eyes locked on those legs, Zane wondered if he could actually feel his brain cells dying from lust overload.

“Just one.” He pulled his gaze up to her face, appreciating the sassy smile playing over those vivid red lips. “What’s your name?”

Her laugh filled the room as sweetly as the sugar already scenting the air.

“Vivian.”

Zane knew he’d never slept with a Vivian before, but he did a quick memory check anyway. Because there was something so damned familiar about her.

“Nice to meet you, Vivian.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Zane.” The words were a husky purr that suited silk sheets and candlelight.

His grin flashed.

“Believe me, it will be.”

He’d make sure of it.

“Oh, Zane?”

He looked over his shoulder.

“One more thing.” She swiped up another scoop of frosting, then delicately licked the glittery white confection off her finger. His blood zoomed south so fast, Zane was surprised he didn’t black out. He grabbed hold of the door frame, just in case.

“Anything,” he said. “Especially if it includes frosting.”

“It might.” Vivian smiled, one foot swinging to and fro, each pass making her skirt flutter and showing that sexy hint of thigh. “Of course, you have to show up to find out. With that in mind—” she put her finger in her mouth again, sucking the frosting clean off, and Zane had to remind himself to breathe “—I dare you to show up this evening—no matter what you might hear about me.”

“What?” He shook his head to clear the lust fog. “Why?”

“Oh, I have my reasons,” she promised. “If you take the dare, you’ll find out what they are.”

“I never say no to a dare.” Zane aimed a finger her way. “You’re on.”

“I can’t wait.” With that, Vivian dipped her spatula into the stainless-steel bowl, spread a thick layer of white glitter over the first tier of cake, then looked up with a flutter of her lashes. “Maybe later you’ll be saying that again.”

* * *

YOU’RE ON.

Those words played out in Zane’s head like a soundtrack to a very enticing reel of images. What did she have in mind? Oh, he’d clued in to the sexual innuendo just fine.

“Hi.”

But there was more going on.

“Zane?

He might serve in EOD instead of Intelligence, but he was trained well enough in cryptology to recognize a hidden message when he heard it. Now he just had to decipher the meaning.

“Have you slipped into a coma? Or did you forget why you knocked on my door?”

Zane blinked the pretty brunette into focus. From the expression on her face, she wasn’t used to being ignored. With good reason. There was nothing ignorable about Quinn Oswald.