Lucky Mix Up Read online

  Mick introduced himself to Braden, jutting his hand toward him, totally ignoring the frigid welcome he’d gotten thus far.

  “Scarlet and I were having a private conversation. If you’d like to speak with her, find your own time.” Braden ignored Mick’s outstretched hand.

  I swallowed my drink too fast and coughed. No one noticed as I blotted my cleavage with a cocktail napkin.

  “What’d you say your name was again?” Mick asked.

  “I didn’t.” Braden stood up. “It’s obvious you have no style which is forgivable, but your lack of manners isn’t. Apologize to the lady.”

  Braden’s eyes were hooded. He was seriously pissed. He might look scary, but I was oddly warmed by his defense.

  Mick glanced around the bar. “I don’t see any lady here. Just Scarlet.” He leaned across me toward Braden but not before leering at my boobs. “And trust me. If you know what she does with that mouth, you’d know she’s no lady.”

  That fucker! I wanted to die.

  I opened my mouth to tell Mick to give it a rest when Braden pulled me off the barstool and set me behind him. It was like being moved by a giant. He did it in one smooth motion as if I weighed no more than the empty vodka glass sitting on the bar in front of me.

  “Outside now.” Braden faced Mick over my empty bar seat and jerked his thumb toward the door.

  The older man spoke into his drink. “I was in the navy before you were a twinkle in your ma’s eye. Sit down and forget about it.”

  “Apologize to her. Now.” Braden’s fury rolled off him. He was completely focused on tearing Mick apart.

  I certainly wasn’t a fan of Mick’s, but he was a jackass who never changed. It was better just to move away and leave him to his drunken misery.

  “It’s ok.” I touched Braden’s forearm and could feel the tension in the steely muscle.

  “No,” he glanced back to me. “It’s not ok. No one talks to you that way.”

  I blew out my breath. Was it hot in here or was Braden just the damn sexiest thing on two legs? At this rate, I was going to combust.

  “I don’t know where your white horse is parked, but I sure hope someone is picking up the shit.” Mick pretended to sweep off his hat and offer me a mock bow from his bar seat. “Scarlet I apologize for my rude language.”

  I felt my body relax slightly against the chiseled muscle of Braden’s back. Crisis averted.

  Then Mick muttered. “Whore.”

  There wasn’t even a whoosh, just a thud as Braden’s fist shot out, struck Mick’s jaw and the older man slumped to the carpet.

  He was out cold.

  Braden stood over Mick, flexing his fingers.

  I glanced around. Besides our trio, the bartender was the only other person in the bar. And he was on his way over.

  He took one look at Braden and then at Mick splayed out on the floor. “Looks like someone had too much to drink. Some people can’t hold their liquor. I’ll call security, and they can send him home in a cab. But you two might not want to be here if this guy wakes up.”

  Braden took out his wallet to settle up the tab, but the bartender brushed it off. “Compliments of the house.”

  “How about we finish our drinks elsewhere?” I reached out and rested a hand on Braden’s forearm. I definitely wanted to be out of here when Mick woke up, but I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to Braden yet. And the vodka was giving me some liquid courage, so I went with it.

  We left the restaurant, him pulling my suitcase with one hand and his other at the small of my back. I could feel his fingertips scorching my skin through the thin fabric.

  But instead of looking for another spot to get a drink, Braden led me to an elevator. Guess he wasn’t as interested in continuing this encounter as I was. We stepped in, and I hit the button for my floor, but Braden didn’t do anything. His body was all coiled tension.

  “Hey, thanks.” I touched his arm again because I wanted to touch him, and it seemed like our time together was limited to the next thirty seconds. I couldn’t help myself, I rose up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. His stubble abraded my lips in a way that had me swallowing a moan. “It was really sweet. I’m not used to having anyone stick up for me in this business. I know I’m an independent woman and all that, but seeing that jerk knocked on his ass was pretty awesome.”

  Braden folded his arms across his chest. He leaned back against the elevator railing, staring at the needle ticking the floors off as it climbed. He still said nothing.

  The elevator arrived at my floor and bumped to a stop.

  “Thanks again,” I blurted.

  Ugh. He thought I was some psycho with bizarre fetishes, wandering Vegas with my suitcase of sex toys. I was disappointed, but I couldn’t blame him. First, the toys then getting called a whore in a bar, ending with a barroom brawl. Guess his first, second, and third impression of me left him wanting to escape as soon as possible.

  Disappointment squeezed my chest, and I found myself fighting back my tears. Ridiculous to feel this way about a guy I’d just met, but I felt bereft at the thought of saying good-bye and never laying eyes on him again. But the least I could do was make a dignified exit. I prepared to slip out the door the minute it slid open.

  But Braden had other plans. He punched the hold button before the doors slid apart. He turned to me, blocking the elevator exit. His dark eyes drilled into mine, and I shivered as a small tendril of hope curled through me.

  Maybe this wouldn’t be good-bye.

  2

  Braden

  I glanced at Scarlet’s hands just to check. No rings. No fancy fingernails. She had a professional manicure but wore clear polish. And all I could think of as I looked at those fingernails was how they’d feel raking my back as I pounded orgasm after orgasm out of her.

  I gave a slight shake of my head. What the fuck was wrong with me? Maybe I had sunstroke. All I knew was one look at her heart-shaped face and curvy body, and I was on her hook. All I wanted was to find the nearest hard surface to push her against so I could hike up that short skirt and discover if the flesh underneath was as sweet as the quick glimpse I got in the lobby promised. But first I had to make sure she didn’t belong to someone else.

  “You married, engaged, got a man?”

  Her eyes widened. “No.”

  She was surprised. With that hot little body and lush mouth, most guys probably didn’t care if there was someone else who could claim her. But I felt compelled to make sure she was all mine. Even if it was just for this evening.

  Clearly, she was a hooker. She didn’t look like the scantily clad stereotype, but then the Evermore wouldn’t put up with that. She looked more like a sexy librarian than a high-priced escort. But the contents of her suitcase were a dead giveaway even before the guy downstairs made it clear. I got the impression she hadn’t been at it very long, but something about that innocence despite what she chose to do for a living made my cock ache to be buried inside her.

  I’d never paid for sex before. I didn’t have to. But at this moment, I was ready to hand over the contents of my bank account to get Scarlet under me.

  From the moment I caught her from sprawling face first across the hotel lobby, my body chanted mine, mine, mine. I’d never been driven to violence over a woman before, but that fuckwit in the bar had me wanting to wipe that smirk off his face. Nobody was going to talk about Scarlet that way.

  The way he looked at her made me wonder if he was one of her regular clients. Just the thought of it made me wish he was here so I could slam my fist into him again. A possessiveness I’d never felt before flooded my body and made my cock strain against my zipper. I wasn’t going to think about who she might have been with in the past. Tonight, she’d be mine.

  “Th-this is my floor. Do you want to come in for a drink?” Her teeth worried her bottom lip as nerves made her voice tremble a bit as if she’d had to work up her courage to ask me back to her room. How had a woman like this ended up in her profession? She seemed more
the type who preferred to let the man take control of things.

  I could give her that. I stepped closer to her, careful to keep one finger on the button holding the doors closed, and brushed my thumb over her mouth to force her to free her lip from her teeth. Her lips parted, and I fought the urge to capture them with my own. But something told me the moment I tasted her, my tenuous hold on my self-control would be gone. And as much as I wanted her, I needed more space and more time to do all that I wanted to do to her than the elevator would afford. Time for me to take control of things.

  “I’m routinely accused of being blunt, so I’m just going to lay it out. I don’t care who you work for, what you charge, or what other business you have. All I want to do is bury my cock deep inside you. The thought of your pussy, how you taste, and how you’ll feel wrapped around me is driving me to distraction. If you want me to fuck you so hard you can’t remember your name, step off this elevator with me. If not…have a nice evening.”

  Her perfect mouth dropped open. Just seeing the tip of her pink tongue made my cock throb. I wanted that tongue wrapped around me, sucking away while I filled her lovely mouth with my cum.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  My cock ached for her, but I had to be sure.

  “Okay? You agree to take me back to your room and let me fuck you?” I reached out with my free hand to roll her nipple between my thumb and finger. Her braless tits had been teasing me since the lobby. The thin gauzy material of her top felt like tissue under my fingers. I wanted so badly to rip it off her.

  She closed her eyes, briefly. Her teeth returned to her plump lower lip. “Yes.”

  I leaned closer and lowered my voice even though it was just the two of us in the elevator. “Are your panties wet?”

  Her eyes were still closed, but she nodded. A breathy moan escaped her lips.

  I removed my hand from her breast, and she swayed toward me.

  “Scarlet.” I brushed her hair back from her face. Her skin was like satin to my touch. “What do you want?”

  “I want you to fuck me so hard, I can’t remember my name.”

  “Well then, let’s get going.” I released my hand from the button, and the elevator doors slid open. A trio of female senior citizens waited. Despite the heat outside, they were dressed in sweaters and pearls. One of them twitched her nose like she knew I was up to no good. Good call.

  “Good evening.” My fingertips returned to the small of Scarlet’s back to guide her out, my other hand pulling her suitcase along with us.

  Behind us, I could hear the little old ladies twittering. Good thing I planned to take my time with Scarlet, otherwise I might have had her up against the wall of the elevator fucking her brains out when those doors opened. We would have really given them something to cluck over.

  Scarlet pulled her keycard out of her skirt pocket and slid it into her door. She didn’t look back at me. She went inside, leaving enough space for me to follow her.

  Her room was like mine, luxurious with plush carpet, thick curtains, and a king-sized bed. That last thing was all I cared about. The room was like a freezer with the air conditioning running. I didn’t want her to get cold, so I adjusted the temperature on the wall thermostat.

  She disappeared into the bathroom.

  I explored her room, looking for more clues about her. Another suitcase was in the closet. I rocked it gently to find it empty. I slid open the dresser drawers. Matching rows of tasteful bras and panty sets in pink, white, and black were carefully arranged. Her clientele preferred class. And Scarlet craved order.

  On the bedside nightstand closer to the windows there was a mystery novel and a gardening magazine. Near the TV was a pair of fuzzy pink slippers and a pair of broken in running shoes. I clicked the remote, scrolling through to a sports channel.

  Before long, the bathroom door opened. I looked up. Scarlet’s face was flushed, and she moved like she was afraid to approach the bed.

  I clicked off the television. “You don’t bring your work home very often, do you?”

  I didn’t share her shyness. I closed the distance between us and took her hand, pulling her toward the bed. I liked the feel of her small hand folded in mine, our fingers laced together.

  “This is pretty unusual for me,” she said.

  I didn’t ask why she made an exception for me. I didn’t want to break the spell between us by asking her about her clients.

  “Then this is my lucky day.” I sat down on the foot of the bed.

  She stood shifting her weight back and forth on her heels for a moment. And then I swore I could see in her face the moment she made her decision. She shocked me by dropping into my lap, looping her arms around my neck and resting her cheek against my shoulder.

  Instinctively my arms tightened around her, cradling her close. My cock was rock hard under her sweet ass, but I felt compelled to make sure she was taken care of before we moved forward.

  “You ok?” I kissed her forehead.

  She nodded without speaking before tilting her head back and kissing my jaw.

  Holy Fuck. Her lips on my skin were so tender and innocent, I had to take a breath and hold it to keep from coming in my pants. I was done going slow.

  I snaked one hand up between her thighs. I heard her breath catch, and I fought a grin at the evidence of my effect on her. I kept sliding my hand up, and she parted her soft thighs to make room for me. I didn’t stop until I got to her panty-covered pussy. The dampness I found there another indication she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I wasted no time. I pushed her panties aside to sink a finger inside her gently. Scarlet shivered in reaction.

  “Fuck. Your pussy is soaking,” I murmured.

  She lifted her face to mine, and I was happy to oblige her and get my first taste of her sweetness. I kissed her, taking her mouth hungrily. I’d heard hookers never kissed on the mouth. True or not, I wasn’t going to ask Scarlet right now. I was just going to take what she was offering and ignore the tight feeling in my chest at the thought of her lush mouth kissing any other man.

  She strained against my finger, rocking her hips in rhythm with my movements as I slid in and out of her. I added another finger. She was so tight, she practically bucked off my lap.

  She hadn’t been in her profession very long. This thought made my blood race.

  I twisted us and put her back to the bed, leaving her legs dangling over the edge. “Take off your skirt.”

  She closed her eyes, and I saw her tits rise and fall under her blouse with each slow, shuddering breath. She was obviously nervous, but she followed my command. She reached over to her right side and eased her zipper down. I bent to help her, tugging gently at the hem and easing it off her curvy hips.

  Her white lace panties against her creamy skin made her look as innocent as a virgin, and I fought back a groan.

  She opened her eyes before bending to reach for her shoes, but I stopped her with a raised hand. “Leave them.”

  She lay back on the bed and looked up at me with her big, beautiful eyes as I pulled my shirt off over my head before tossing it on the nearby chair. I pulled some condoms out of my wallet and dropped them on the bed. Her eyes grew even wider at the sight of them.

  I spread her shapely legs. She was a runner for sure. I stepped forward to stand between them. She’d thrown one arm across her eyes. Her teeth worried her bottom lip.

  “Open your eyes, Scarlet.” Whatever her usual routine was, tonight she would see who was fucking her pussy. And she’d remember.

  “Turn off the light,” she said.

  “No.”

  She raised her forearm so I could see her now wide-open eyes glaring as she frowned up at me. “Braden!”

  Damn. I didn’t know what was hotter, her show of temper or the way my name sounded on her lips.

  Scratch that. What was hot was how fast she forgot her annoyance as she stared at my chest. The anger left her face, replaced by sheer longing. Her gaze traveled over my bare chest, drinking it
in like she was dying of thirst before she shifted it to my hands, following them as I reached for the button on my pants. Under her gaze, I made short work of undoing them and pushing them down along with my briefs.

  My cock sprang forward, thick and heavy. I stroked myself, gliding my fist up and down my shaft.

  Scarlet’s eyes widened and she swallowed. Hard. I wasn’t going to give her nerves a chance to return. I reached down and ripped her panties off and tossed the shredded scrap of lace over to where I threw my shirt.

  That seemed to do the trick. She propped herself up on her elbows now to openly watch me. Her cheeks were pink, but her gaze was bold as it traveled over my body.

  It was tempting with her body now open to me, to lean down and suck her pussy, but I wasn’t that patient. I needed to be buried inside Scarlet balls deep as soon as possible. The foreplay would have to wait until round two when I’d blown off a little steam first.

  I rolled a condom down my thick length. My hands shook. I’d been driven my whole life, but nothing prepared me for the drive to slide inside this woman. It felt like everything was leading up to this minute where the curvy brunette before me was laid bare.

  Scarlet scooted up to the head of the bed.

  “We’re really going to do this with the lights on?”

  “Yes.” I shifted myself over her, and she opened her legs wider, her thighs tightening on my hips as my body pressed Scarlet into the mattress. I didn’t want anything hidden. I wished I didn’t need a condom.

  My body rested in the cradle between her thighs, and my cock pressed at the entrance of her wet pussy. I couldn’t wait to soak my cock in her juices. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

  She instantly complied, using her legs to pull me even closer. She still had her sheer top on, the outline of her nipples clearly visible. I wanted to suck those pretty tits of hers, but that would have to wait, too.