Never Been Ready (21 page)

"You did great. You need to give yourself a bit more credit, Hotshot. You're more than just good looks. And if you stick around me long enough, you'll find a whole world of fun outside of those clubs and bars...not that I don't enjoy those, too," I answered.

"Well, tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Why don't we do a bit of both? I'll take you out for a bit of fun my way, and then afterward, we can have a bit of fun the Leah way. What do you think?"

"You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into."

After asking him for the hundredth time where we were going, only to hear him answer for the hundredth time that he wasn't telling me, I asked him if he would at least give me a hint on wardrobe. He just smiled and walked away. Then, I could hear him whistling as he made himself a sandwich in the kitchen.

I couldn't remember the last time Declan had spent the night in his hotel room. Part of me tried to feel bad for whoever was still paying for the expensive room he was supposed to be staying in, but every night when I would be lying in his arms, the smidgen of guilt seemed to drift away as I fell asleep.

When the sun fell and Declan informed me that it was almost time to go, I let him grab whatever he needed out of my room, and then I kicked him out, sending him across the hall to the guest bedroom to change. I'd told him a girl needed privacy when getting ready for a fancy date.

"How do you know it's fancy?" he'd joked. "I could be taking you to a country bar with peanuts on the floor."

I stuck my head out my bedroom door to find him standing in the middle of the guest bedroom. He didn't have a shirt on, and his jeans were unbuttoned. I thought my brain shorted out as drool hit the floor.
How could his body still make me go idiotic after all this time?
I thought it would at least stabilize a little...but nope. If my eyes saw even one inch of naked Declan, I would turn into a drooling sex fiend.

"Were you going to say something, babe?" he teased, slowly sliding his jeans down his ass.

No boxers today —he'd gone totally commando.
Damn him.
I turned around and slammed the door behind me, hearing him burst into a fit of laughter.

"You better not be taking me to a country bar! You know I hate country!"

Declan suddenly came through the door, still gloriously naked. He stalked toward me, grabbed my ass, and pulled me against his tight, lean body. His eyes were bright, heated, and his smile lit up the room.

"I'm not taking you to a country bar. Put something sexy on but not too fancy. We're not going to a ball. Do it fast before I change my mind and just throw you on the bed and fuck you till morning. Got it?"

I barely had the chance to nod before he slapped me on the ass, and then he was gone.

Well, this could be fun.

Searching through my closet, I found my black leather jacket, something I hadn't pulled out in a while. Declan wore his like a second skin, so I figured he'd lose his mind seeing me in one. I danced happily over to my dresser where I grabbed the tightest pair of skinny jeans I owned. They required me to lie down on the bed and do several awkward positions and squats to get them on. That was not sexy at all, and it proved another good reason for kicking Declan out. After the jeans, I found a sexy white tank top that barely touched the waistband of my jeans. I finished off the look with high-heeled ankle boots.

Yeah, he's done for.

I redid my makeup, applying a bit more eyeliner and some light eye shadow. I kept the eye makeup on the light side because I had plans for my lips, and I didn't want to look like a hooker with too much. Makeup rule number one —when going big on the lips, keep the eye makeup understated, and vice versa. Nothing said,
For hire
, like a woman with four layers of cheap makeup on.

Finishing my eyes, I dusted a bit of bronzer on my cheeks and pulled out the lipstick. It was the perfect red. It was a classy matte and reminded me of old Hollywood. I took my time putting it on, making sure it was exactly right. I didn't usually wear much lipstick. It got in the way of kissing Declan, but tonight, I had evil plans, and they involved lipstick.

I took a look in the mirror as I brushed my hair, and then I headed for the living room. Declan was standing there in dark jeans that hugged his ass. I could see a dark green long-sleeved Henley peeking out of the leather of his coat. He turned around when he heard me come in, and seeing his face was priceless.

"Hey there, stud," I said, quoting
Grease
, another favorite movie.

"Well, fuck me sideways. Where the hell did you get that?"

"I've had it for a while actually."

"And why is this the first time I'm seeing it? Jesus, you in leather —why did I not think of that?"

"Don't know, but here I am. I think I was promised a hot date."

"Right. We better get on that before I change my mind."

His eyes lingered down my body, giving me chills. Suddenly, the idea of staying in for the holiday sounded much more appealing, but I was curious about where he was taking me.

"So, you gonna tell me where we're going yet?"

"Hope you're prepared for some liquor, babe, because we are going to do an old-fashioned Richmond pub crawl."

Oh Lord.
I was pretty sure I could hear my liver whimpering in protest.

~Declan~

Being the responsible adult that I was, the limo I'd rented pulled up just as we were locking Leah's front door.

"You know, I didn't know a limo was part of a traditional pub crawl," Leah teased.

I swung an arm over her shoulder and walked with her toward our transportation for the evening.

"Yeah, well, I decided to throw a bit of Declan flair in there for style...and safety," I added.

"Responsible and sexy —how did I get so lucky?"

She fanned herself as I rolled my eyes.

I held open the door, and she bent down and made her way into the car. My eyes followed her tight ass as she crawled across the seat. I followed, giving the driver directions, and then I raised the privacy screen, so we could enjoy our twenty-minute drive into downtown alone.

"So, that privacy screen...is it soundproof?" Leah asked, her brow arching.

She gave me a look that had my entire body coming to full attention. My eyes were immediately drawn to her full red lips. I wasn't used to seeing her with lipstick on, and every word she said just drew my eyes to her lips, making me want to suck, lick, and devour every inch of them.

"I don't know. Do you want me to ask?" I challenged, trying to see how serious she was.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I mean...we can just be quiet," she said softly.

I scooted towards to her, closing the distance between our bodies. "What exactly do you have in mind, little temptress? We only have twenty minutes."

"That's enough time for what I have in mind." She grinned. "I see you've noticed the lipstick."

"Hard not to. Your lips are making me hard every time you speak."

"Well, in a few minutes, they're going to be making perfect red rings around your dick, so think about that."

Fuck. Me.

"Is that why you wore the lipstick?" I asked, trying to remember how to form words.

She just smiled as she reached for my belt buckle. She didn't waste any time. She freed me from my jeans and boxer briefs in a matter of seconds. She knelt down in front of me and took my hard length in her hand, giving it long, firm strokes up and down, as I groaned. With her other hand, she reached up to shrug out of her jacket, but I stopped her.

"Don't you dare. The leather stays."

Kneeling between my legs, she bent her head toward me. She gave one long lick to the head of my cock before running her tongue down the side and then back up again. She threw me a sly grin before she went down, taking all of me into her mouth, leaving a perfect red ring at the base of my dick.

"Shit, Leah!" I cursed.

She worked me in and out, sucking and hollowing out her cheeks as she went. My fingers curled into her hair as I thrust hard into her mouth. She moaned, gripping her fingers under my ass, as I fucked her mouth.

"Fuck, Leah, I'm gonna come. Suck me harder. Don't stop," I begged.

She did exactly as I'd asked. She sucked harder, faster, and deeper. I came hard into her mouth, and she took it all, moaning, as she swallowed every drop I gave.

"Jesus, woman. Where did you learn how to do that? No, wait...on second thought, don't tell me."

She crawled up my body and straddled my waist as she grinned. "Silly man, no one taught me that. We just have a natural inclination at some things."

"Well, thank God that's one of yours."

She laughed, resting her head against my still racing heart. "You were really loud," she said.

"I really don't fucking care. At least you were quiet. I don't want anyone hearing those moans but me," I said, giving her ass another slap, which caused her to yelp.

We managed to get ourselves back together by the time the limo pulled up to the first bar. We could choose from actual routes for tonight, depending on what type of pub crawl we wanted to do. I picked one of the more traditional crawls, picking establishments that had been around for years. I liked their vibe more than the upscale clubs. I also figured I had less of a chance of getting noticed in a more casual type crowd as well. The limo didn't help, but I wanted it to be special for Leah, so I took the chance. For her, I would do anything.

The first place we stopped at was known for great food, so we ate a late dinner, enjoying some of the best burgers in Richmond. We drank and talked about work. She told me about her coworkers and the deliveries she'd helped with over the last week. I updated her on how the movie was progressing and how much I enjoyed helping the director. We agreed our brains were fried, and we were both in need of a serious vacation.

"Hey, I'm supposed to attend a movie premiere in two weeks. I originally said no because I never attend them. But we could go if you want to?" I suggested.

"You're asking me if I want to go to a Hollywood movie premiere with my hot boyfriend?"

"Um, yes?"

"Are you insane? Of course I want to go. And why the hell didn't you tell me you had a movie coming out?"

"Oh, um...it didn't come up. It's not a big deal...and well, there's a sex scene."

"Oh," was all she said.

Yeah, I probably should have brought this up sooner.

"I wasn't sure if you'd want to see that. But we can sneak out before then if you want to go."

"No. This is what you do, and I need to support you, no matter the circumstance. We'll go, and I will be with you the entire time, holding your hand."

Stunned, all I could say was, "Okay, I'll make all the arrangements."

"One quick question, and I'm gonna kick myself for asking, but I need to know going in. Did you, um... by chance, sleep with the actress you did the sex scene with?"

"No. Fuck no," I answered.

She exhaled a breath she must have been holding for several seconds, judging from the amount of oxygen leaving her lungs.

"I've made it a personal policy to never sleep with coworkers. I've seen that shit blow up in people's faces way too many times. Plus, she drove me insane."

Finishing our dinner, we moved on to another bar, and by the third bar, we'd switched from beers to shots, wanting to celebrate the evening in style. That was when Leah had the brilliant idea for a drinking game.

"Let's play Never Have I Ever!"

I groaned. "No. Hell no."

"Come on! It will be fun," she begged, her voice accentuated by the buzz of alcohol running through her veins and her eyes bright. "You remember how to play, right? I'll say, 'Never have I ever,' and then I'll follow it up with something I've never done."

"Yes, and if I've done the deed, I take the shot."

"Yep. Sounds like fun, right?"

She gave me that pretty-please look that always won me over.

I groaned. "Okay, but I'm warning you...this could get messy."

"Nah, it's going to be fun!" she exclaimed.