He’d only offered the recommendation out of guilt and because it would cost him nothing, since he’d get Doug to write it. Now he was determined that she should take it. “It’s a no-brainer for me. I’d rather help you than most of the people who ask me for things.”

“I didn’t ask you for it.” Her voice was tight.

He laid his drawl on thicker. “And that’s why I offered. No strings attached.”

“Sorry. Orin has me tied up in knots.” She gave him an apologetic smile before she polished off her champagne as well. He refilled their glasses.

“So I’ll write the letter.”

He got a surprise when she shook her head again. “I’ll find a way to get the job on my own.” She tried to look impish as she said, “No strings attached.” But the worry lingered in her eyes.

“Why?”

She didn’t pretend to misunderstand the question. “You don’t use the concierge service at the Pinnacle. It wouldn’t be a legitimate recommendation.”

“I used it yesterday. I can highly recommend it.”

She gave a little cough. “Yesterday was . . . out of the ordinary.”

He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I know about lowlifes like Spindle. He won’t stop until he’s dragged you down in the dirt. Take my reference letter, sugar.”

Those liquid brown eyes went fiery. “I’m not going to use the influence of a man I’m having sex with, who happens to be so famous I can’t even meet him in public.”

She jabbed her fork into a piece of rabbit with such force that a lettuce leaf skidded off her plate.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Subject closed, sugar.” How had he gotten to the point of pissing her off when he was just trying to help her out? He wasn’t used to pushback, and it triggered the competitor in him. “Have another oyster.”

She accepted the shell he held out with a wary glance and a flickering smile. “I don’t need any extra aphrodisiacs around you.” She lifted it to her mouth and sucked the slippery mollusk off the shell.

That sent a wave of arousal straight to his groin. He wanted to lunge across the table and taste the brine of the oyster on her tongue. Instead he gave her a slow smile. “Maybe we could do some dancing after dinner.”

Chapter 16

Miranda had to brace herself to withstand the burn in his eyes as he held her gaze for a long moment. She sagged in relief when he smiled and stacked the empty appetizer plates, saying, “Time for the main course.”

She felt like she’d been caught in a stormy surf with waves slamming and tumbling her in the churning water. The earlier sense of connection had betrayed her into sharing too much about Orin. Luke’s offer of the recommendation had nearly blinded her with temptation for a moment; armed with that, all doors would open. For a short time.

She knew she deserved the head concierge job, but no one else would believe it if she used the famous quarterback’s influence. Her abilities would always be in question.

She’d expected him to be relieved when she turned it down, but instead he’d pushed harder. It was the first time she’d experienced the steel behind his drawl. She should have known it was there, but it had shocked her to have all that power unleashed against her.

And then he’d gone back to the seducer in the blink of an eye. When he’d mentioned dancing, she’d been flooded with embarrassment at the memory of her wanton behavior at the club. But the memory had also sent shimmers of excitement rippling through her body to pool in the hollow between her legs. Her appetite for the food had vanished, replaced by her hunger for his beautiful, muscled body.

She glanced up to meet his eyes and nearly moaned at the desire she saw there. He was as hot as she was, but he was controlling it with that famous iron discipline. It was time to see if she could break it.

She picked up a morsel of lobster from the plate in front of her and deliberately nibbled on it while keeping her gaze locked with his. She watched the icy control start to melt as she sucked at the rich, buttery sauce that coated the meat. She put the rest of the lobster in her mouth, letting her eyelids drift closed as she chewed and swallowed it with overt pleasure. Then she opened her eyes and licked her fingers.

His breathing grew harsh. His hands were splayed flat on the cream linen tablecloth.

She picked up another piece of lobster and held it out to him. “Try this.”

The table tilted slightly toward Luke, and she realized he was pressing down on it. Very slowly he angled in toward her hand, his eyes scorching. His height allowed him to reach the proffered morsel easily. When he closed his lips around her fingers, the touch of his mouth seemed to travel to her tight nipples. He took the lobster with a sucking pressure on her fingers, and she felt her breath hitch in a gasping sigh.

He swallowed and shoved back his chair. “Dinner’s over, sugar.”

She’d started this on purpose, but as he stalked around the table, she had a moment of panic. He was a big, sleek predator at the top of the food chain, and she felt like a little brown mouse who was being played with before she was devoured.

But she should have known he wouldn’t yank her to her feet and haul her off to the bedroom. Instead, he came up behind her and ran his palms along her shoulders and down her arms to where her hands lay in her lap. He interlaced his fingers with hers and brought her arms back behind her chair, where he cuffed her wrists together in one of his big hands. Her breathing quickened as she felt his strength holding her in place, yet her panic vanished. Now she just waited in delicious anticipation of where he would touch her next.