Excerpt

No Kissing Allowed

By: Melissa West

First meeting from Aidan’s POV

I waved the bartender over and ordered a beer, my head throbbing from jet lag, and I wondered why I agreed to meet Matt out. The truth was I wanted something. What, I couldn't be sure. But something. My bones ached for something different, new, fresh. And I'd never been one to deny myself what I wanted.

But it was already getting late and Matt wasn't here yet. The bartender brought over my beer, and I thanked him, then focused on the wide screen behind him, wondering again why I hadn't stayed home. I'd just taken out my phone to text Matt that it wasn't happening tonight, when three ladies crowded around the stools to my right. My eyes cut over, taking them in, when the blonde closest to me tossed her hair and a floral scent mixed with something sweet, something like vanilla or warm brown sugar, hit my nose.

I took a long pull of my beer, suddenly very aware of how closely she stood to me. Then out of either curiosity or boredom, I tuned into their conversation. A game of some sort. Ten things to do before they started their first jobs on Monday. But apparently, the friends had thrown a wrench in the plan and added an eleventh—hooking up with a stranger.

Suddenly, the conversation became very, very interesting.

The brunette and platinum blonde grinned at my girl like they were the devil incarnate and planned to tempt her to the dark side, but by the determination on her face, she wasn't going so easily.

A chuckle broke free before I could stop myself, and my girl glanced over, all that fire and sass directed at me now. I almost laughed again.

"This is a private conversation."

I tilted my head at her and grinned, enjoying the way her eyes changed as she took me in. And damn if she wasn't even hotter than I'd first thought. Piercing blue eyes set against an angelic face and full lips that looked anything but angelic. I knew I should let it go, the girl was clearly younger than me by several years, but that spark in her eyes tempted me. Too much.

"Well, then, you should tell your voice that. Pretty sure the whole bar heard you."

Her eyes went wide and another laugh escaped. This girl was fun...and dangerous. I preferred women I knew through one of my channels. I knew nothing about this girl except that she cocked attitude like most breathed air, and the longer I sat there, the more I didn't want to leave.

"Let me guess—fall retreat in New York City? Oh, how big and bad

you all must feel.”

And that was it. Nobody talked to me like this, all attitude and condescension. Hell, it was rare to meet someone who didn't know me by name. But this girl certainly didn’t know me, and by that glare of hers, she didn’t like me either. I needed to change her mind.

I turned to face her, spreading my legs a little to give her room to move in once she was ready. And she would be ready...she just didn't know it yet.

“Look, I get it. You’re the good girl to their bad. Every group’s got one, and now they’re trying to force you over to the dark side. One night, right?” My gaze ran over her with no hint of subtlety, across her plunging neckline, around her full hips. Her face screamed innocent, but her body told an entirely different story. Like maybe she hadn’t used it the way it craved to be used, and I was more than willing to help her out. “And I bet you’re tempted,” I said, lifting my gaze back to hers. “I bet you told yourself you needed this, and you’d be right. You do."

She jerked back, and I thought I might have gone too far. Still, I called it like I saw it, and this girl needed to live a little—breathe a little. “What do you know about me? With your UT hat and starched shirt. I mean, who the hell dresses like that?”

Another laugh hit me, and I bit my lip, nodding as I smiled. “Not a Tennessee fan, huh? Let me guess—Georgia girl goes to NYU to prove she’s bigger than her small town?” I could tell by her expression I’d hit the nail on the head. I grinned again. Damn, how I missed Southern sass.

“Think whatever you like. I should get back to my friends.”

At that, I followed her gaze to the back of the bar, where her two friends were now seconds away from taking the winning kiss. “Looks like the bad girls are going to win this round.”

Her eyes narrowed in on me. “Listen, I don’t really need or want your opinion.”

“Perhaps. But I’m guessing you could use my lips right about now.” I nodded to the back of the bar, where Platinum Chick was all but sitting in her dude’s lap, her mouth set in a way that made well-intentioned men fall to their knees.

My girl released a breath that sounded an awful lot like defeat, but I wasn’t willing to give up so easily—for her sake or mine. I flipped my cap around. “Ready whenever you are, good girl.” Then before she could toss more sass my way, I took her hand, warmth spreading up my arm from the contact, and tugged her toward me. “Don’t think. Just do.” And then my lips met hers. A mix of cinnamon and mint burst across my tongue, and I drew her closer, eager to show her exactly what I wanted to do with those lips and that mouth.

She pulled away too soon, and I expected her to go off on me again, but instead her eyes dropped back to my lips, and I gripped her hips, securing her to me.

This time, it was her lips that found mine.