Red Shoes and a Diary: (Harlequin Blaze #83) by Mia Zachary

• Read an Excerpt

Read an Excerpt

He put one foot up on the brass rail along the bottom of the bar, shifting his weight to the opposite hip. Her gaze dropped to the front of his jeans. Omigod. She stared out at the night sky in order to get her pulse back under control.
“Whenever I’m near you, Alex, I feel like I’m in a racing car with no brakes.”
His warm fingers gently brushed her cheek, tilting her chin up until she looked at him. There was an odd tenderness in his face. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”
Meghan took a quick breath, delighted by the intensity of his gaze... and that swelling in his jeans. He really did want her. She saw it in his eyes, felt it in his touch.
“Who’s going to keep me safe from you?”
“You’re looking for trouble and we both know it. But we’ll take things slow and easy. That’s more my speed.”
She swallowed hard. Fast or slow, she’d take him any way she could get him. “I didn’t think you had a speed. I haven’t seen you do anything except lounge around and drink beer.”
Every move he made was economical and easy, but he had to do something to stay in such great shape. His broad shoulders and muscular chest tapered to a lean torso and flat stomach. She watched the muscles bunch under his skin of his forearm as he caught her fingers and helped her to her feet.
“If you want to see me in action, let’s go and dance. It’s not a country song, but it’s got the heartbroken sentiment.”
He settled her into his arms for the slow, romantic ballad about candlelight and special nights. She’d assumed such a big man would be clumsy or hesitant until he led her confidently around the floor, guiding her into some fancy dips and turns.
Her body fit his perfectly. Or his fit hers perfectly. Whatever. Either way, it felt right to be in his arms, hips swaying and thighs brushing. She’d read somewhere that men who danced well made love even better.
Alex was an excellent dancer.
The way his pelvis rubbed against her belly had her heart pounding. A current of excitement arced between them. Could he possibly be as incredible in bed as he was on the dance floor? She was more than anxious to find out.
Meghan sneaked a glance at his profile just as he looked down and winked. He seemed to smile with his whole being, his face alight with pleasure. It was a beautiful sight to behold and impossible not to return with a smile of her own.
The band played another slow song, so they stayed where they were. She let the soft wail of the saxophone wash over and through her. Alex’s hold was confident and somehow intimate as he pressed her against his large body. She melted into his embrace, enjoying the warmth of his arms.
Then she tripped over his foot. Uh oh. About those Vices.
“Are you okay?” Alex looked down in concern.
She took a moment to analyze her condition. Hot, light headed, disoriented and turned on. “I think I’m drunk.”
“Definitely not my type.” He laughed, a rumble of sound that started deep in his chest. He tightened his arms around her to better support her weight. “I like a woman who can hold her liquor.”
When the song ended, he guided her back to the bar. “I’m not dancing to any of that disco crap. Hey, Alfonso. Can we get some coffee?”
She leaned against his shoulder, angling her head to look up at him. “I don’ t want coffee. I want another Miami Vice.”
“You’ve had enough Vice, I think.”
“Nope. I’m the good girl in the family.”
He smirked and that was all the encouragement she needed. Tonight, she intended to unleash the Wanton Wench within. If she could stop slurring her words and seeing double.
“It’s too bad I’m not your type. I don’t like beer, I detest country music and I refuse to get breast implants.”
Alex lowered his eyes. He leaned one elbow on the bar, his gaze drifting over her body. Her nipples beaded in response. What would Elise do? Let him look. She shifted on the stool, sitting a little straighter to give him a better view.
His tone was intimate and approving when he spoke. “Your breasts are just fine.”
His smooth hands would rub and stroke her sensitive flesh. He’d cup the weight of them in his palms and brush the pad of his thumb over her nipples...
“I’m glad you like them.” Anxiety built inside her as she attempted to focus. She poked herself in the nose before remembering she didn’t have on her glasses. Okay. Here goes.
“What’s on your mind, Trouble? You’ve got a dangerous gleam in your eyes.”
She was taking an incredible chance, one that might leave her vulnerable and embarrassed. However, drunken impulse won over sober caution. She wrapped her palm over his hand and guided it onto her thigh.
Alex’s fingers gripped her leg involuntarily and his pupils dilated with interest. When he didn’t remove his hand, she took a gulp of breath and blurted out her proposition.
“I want hot, sweaty, mindless sex. And I want it with you.” u/