Consumed by a Stranger (Craved Series #4) Read online

  "Do you like red wine?" he asked me.

  I nodded.

  He turned to the server. "Can we have a bottle of the Carménère, please?"

  "Certainly," she said, nodding and backing away from the table.

  "I've never heard of that," I said.

  "You'll like it. It's just like you."

  "Oh really?" I asked. "And how's that?"

  "Nice and light but incredibly full bodied."

  I rolled my eyes. He obviously meant full bodied as a compliment, and I was delighted to oblige his outrageous flattery. "I can't wait to try it."

  “By try it, I hope you mean drink most of it because I’ve got to get us home safely."

  "Of course," I said.

  "But we'll go up to the observation deck after we eat for some fresh air before we go so there’s no rush."

  "Sounds good," I said, looking down at the mains. I'd had trouble narrowing down the starters so I figured imagining my meal as a whole might help. "So how long are you staying?"

  "I'm not quite sure," he said. "However long it takes to convince you that I’m serious about you."

  I lifted my eyes to his. "Is that it?" I asked. "You don't have anyone else you need to see or anything else you have to do?" It was hard for me to imagine what life must be like for someone who didn’t need to work anymore.

  "Like who?"

  I shrugged. "I don't know. Patients? Family?"

  "I haven't thought that far ahead," he said. "You're my main priority."

  I nodded.

  "Though I do have some commitments back in Thailand that I can't ignore forever."

  "I see." I decided not to ask about the commitments he had so far away since they were depressing, especially since at least one of them was his Dad's situation. "And you don't think the fact that you live there is going to be an obstacle to the future of… whatever this is?"

  "Not at all."

  "How can you be so sure?" I asked.

  "Because,” he said. "Finding you was the hard part. Keeping you happy, I can do."

  Chapter 10: Jack

  She shook her head. "Your confidence is really something."

  "I'm glad you said confidence instead of cockiness."

  "Was I wrong to?"

  "I don't think so," I said. "I'm just used to getting what I want, and I've never wanted anything as much as I want you."

  The waitress arrived with the wine, my last comment lingering between us while Audrey watched me like a hesitant fawn, like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to bolt or lick me.

  "Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked, looking between us.

  "I'll have the duck please," Audrey said, smiling at the waitress who probably would've been decent looking in her own right if she hadn’t been standing so close to Audrey.

  "The New York Strip for me," I said.

  "Would you like any appetizers?" the waitress asked hopefully.

  "Sure," I said. "The crab cakes and the flat bread sound nice."

  The waitress nodded, collected our menus, and left.

  "Are you happy with those starters?" I asked. "You weren't eyeing the buratta were you?"

  "It did sound nice," she said. "But I thought the flat bread looked like the pick of the bunch."

  "Anything with blue cheese and bacon, right?"

  She rolled her shoulders back and laid her napkin across her lap. "You said it."

  "I was surprised you went with the duck."

  She shrugged. "I can't say the same for what you ordered."

  I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean?"

  "The New York Strip? I mean, c'mon. You're more obsessed with stripping than any guy I've ever met."

  I felt the corner of my mouth curl up. "I don't think I've always been," I said. "I think it's just an interest you’ve brought out in me."

  She rolled her eyes.

  "I'd like to propose a toast," I said, lifting the stem of my glass.

  She followed my lead. "What are we toasting to?"

  "Let's toast to Megan and Matteo because without their help, I wouldn't have found you so quickly."

  "Sounds good to me," she said, clinking her glass against mine. She took a sip of her wine and licked her wet lips, filling my mind with filth. "Mmmm. That is nice," she said, taking another drink.

  "I'm glad you like it," I said. "I'd hate for you to think my excellent taste was limited to women."

  She shook her head. "I wouldn't dare suggest such a thing."

  "Good," I said. "Speaking of taste, what is it you're looking for?"

  She placed a hand over her chest. "What am I looking for?"

  "Yeah," I said. "In a man."

  "Wow. You get right to the point, don't you?"

  "Well, time is of the essence here."

  "I suppose."

  "So I’m in a hurry to figure you out."

  "To figure me out?" she asked. "I'm not sure I've got me figured out yet, but I guess you're welcome to try."

  "Figure you out wasn't the right use of words," I said. "I just want to get to know you."

  She nodded.

  "And I don't need to know you better than you know yourself," I said. "Just better than anyone else."

  "Why?"

  "Because you're the most interesting subject I don't know anything about."

  Her eyes glanced down and then back up at me. "Jack, I don't want you to be disappointed when you find out I'm just a regular girl."

  "There's no such thing as a regular girl, and even if there was, you're not it. You're exceptional."

  "The only thing exceptional about me is how blown away I am by your resolve right now."

  "We don't have time for that kind of blasphemy," I said. "Is it that you don't know what you want? Is that why you can't just answer the question?"

  "Well, I don't have a list of requirements or anything."

  "Shoot from the hip then."

  She took a deep breath. "I like men who are smart and I admire ambition, but I suppose a good sense of humor is the most important thing."

  "What else?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

  "I don't think men have to be assholes to be sexy," she said. "I mean, nobody wants a doormat, but I like men who are considerate of other people, especially people they don't have to be nice to… if that makes sense."

  "Sure," I said. "What else?"

  "I want someone with a high energy level, someone who can keep me from getting too set in my ways."

  I laughed. "Set in your ways?"

  She sighed. "I have a tendency to hide myself away with books and box sets. Sometimes I forget to be social."

  "That's hard to imagine."

  "Megan's great for dragging me out, but it would be nice to find someone who could share the load."

  "Maybe I'm not the guy for you then."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Cause if you were mine, I'd be delighted if you wanted to stay in bed all day and not go out."

  "Yeah, but if you were in the bed, too, then it wouldn't be antisocial."

  "Good point," I said. "And I could make a special effort to make sure our time together was particularly high energy."

  "It might be worth a try."

  "Then again, if you were mine, I'd want to show you off, too. So I’d probably constantly be thinking of places to take you where other people could see how good you looked on my arm."

  "There you go. Maybe it wouldn't be such a disaster after all," she said. "What else would we do if I were yours?"

  "Anything you wanted. The better question to ask would be what couldn't we do?"

  "Okay, then. What couldn't we do?"

  "Be apart for too long," I said. "Cause I'd go mental. The last two weeks really tore me up."

  "I don't buy it," she said. "Someone as adventurous as you pining away for someone like me?"

  "You don't have to buy it, but it's the truth." I took a sip of my wine and set the glass down, relishing the taste of wine that hadn't been cooking on the shel
ves of 7/11 for six months. "And for the record, my pining isn’t a reflection on my ability to be independent."

  "No?"

  "Not at all," I said. "Because I don't need you, Audrey. I want you. There's a big difference."

  "And what's that?"

  I leaned back in my chair. "I can live without you. I just don't want to."

  "I see."

  "And there's another big difference, too," I said, fixing my eyes on her.

  "Oh?” She cocked her head. “And what might that be?”

  "I don't always get what I need.”

  Chapter 11: Audrey

  I was normally a nervous dater. History had proven that Murphy's Law seemed to apply more consistently to my love life than anywhere else.

  But I was so comfortable with Jack. It was an ease I imagined people only felt after they'd been with someone for years, someone who consistently chose to wake up in the morning and love them for another day for so many days in a row that they could finally relax.

  And while I'd never had that, this fleeting glimpse of it was compelling, like a bright light it wasn’t safe to stare at.

  I was used to feeling so much pressure to impress guys. I was always conscious of my body language, how hard I laughed at their jokes, and how often other women caught their eye.

  But I didn't have to worry about that with Jack. His posture was relaxed but unaggressive, I couldn’t help but laugh at his jokes, and as far as I could tell, he hadn't even noticed how attractive our waitress was.

  So basically, the pressure was off because he was clearly already impressed by me. And if what he was saying was an accurate reflection of what he was thinking, then he craved me more than any man ever had before.

  And it was thrilling. It reminded me of the moment you realize the popular guy in your high school class with the great hair actually knows your name and your heart skips a beat.

  …Right before he asks you about some other girl.

  Of course, I desperately wanted to believe Jack’s feelings were genuine, but I didn't see how I had anything he could want. He certainly wasn't after me for my small apartment or my credit card debt.

  He’d been emphatic about loving my body, but I had all the same parts as everyone else. Therefore, the only conclusion I could draw was that he’d either picked up a parasite from drinking some bad water in Thailand or he actually liked me for me.

  Just me.

  I watched him from across the table as he looked out over the city. The sight of his strong jaw was enough to make me wet. And I knew he was a good guy, but how could I be sure he wouldn't hurt me?

  It’s not like I could just travel the world with him. And I couldn’t expect him to move to Seattle.

  I mean, I know he said he wanted me a bunch of times, but his flattery didn’t change the fact that everything was up in the air.

  And obviously I wanted him, too, but I was used to wanting things I couldn’t have. I wanted better skin and a firmer butt and a bigger bank balance and a self-cleaning apartment. But wanting and having were two different things, and I wasn't sure if wanting was enough these days.

  Life just wasn't that easy or straightforward.

  Not for me anyway.

  I was relieved when he said he didn't need me though. It felt weird to have that reaction to something that might put another woman off, but I wasn't interested in being needed by a single other person. The demands my parents put on me were more than enough.

  If I were ever going to be stuck with someone besides them long term, I hoped it would be based purely on pleasure, not on the horrible feeling of inescapable obligation. I had enough of that in my life.

  No, I didn't want to be needed. Just wanted. And yet, I never believed that would really happen for me so the fact that Jack was sitting in front of me telling me he wanted me was completely unreal.

  And so was the flatbread.

  "I didn't think it could be this good," I said, grabbing another piece with a huge hunk of blue cheese on it. I wasn't sure if blue cheese was a strategic date move since I was already planning on kissing him all over, but the starter was too good to pass up so I figured I’d just have to drink enough wine to take care of it.

  "Try the crab cakes," he said, sliding them in my direction.

  I picked up my fork and sank the edge into the crab cake closest to me. "How do they compare to the ones you're used to eating?"

  "They're different," he said, "But still tasty."

  The sweet crab meat melted on my tongue, the seasoning making my mouth smile from the inside out. "Agreed."

  "I wonder why no one eats crab cake sandwiches," he said. "I'm sure they're better for you than burgers."

  "I think they do, but it's called the Filet o' Fish."

  He shook his head. "Yeah, but I bet the Filet o' Crab would be even more delicious."

  "You'd have to include the sweet chili sauce."

  "Of course," he said, topping up my wine.

  "So what is it that you want, Jack?" I asked, deciding to put the pressure on him for a change. “More specifically.”

  "In a woman?"

  "Yeah."

  "I want a woman who makes me laugh and has a gorgeous smile."

  I waited for him to go on, but he didn't. "Is that all?"

  "Pretty much," he said. "Everything else fades away."

  "Not everything."

  "Maybe, but I figured you'd like that answer better than if I said I wanted a woman with a great rack and a healthy sexual appetite."

  "Is that the real answer then?"

  "They both are."

  "So intelligence doesn't rank with you or a nice rack makes up for it?"

  He laughed. "I used to think it could, but that's just a lie young men tell themselves when they aren't ready for something serious."

  "I see."

  "Of course intelligence is important to me. And so is creativity because I like being with someone who sees things differently than I do."

  I ran my tongue over my teeth.

  "It keeps things interesting."

  "That makes sense."

  "So I didn't mean to leave it off the list. I just figured that wanting to be with a woman who was funny covered both bases."

  "Fair enough."

  "And to answer the question you didn't ask-"

  I cocked my head at him.

  "The answer is yes."

  "Yes what?"

  "Yes, I'm ready for something serious."

  I pursed my lips.

  "I'm ready to stop postponing my future and start spoiling somebody besides myself."

  "Preferably a funny woman with a nice smile and a great rack?"

  "That's right."

  I leaned back in my chair and looked at him. His blue eyes looked darker in the dim room than they normally did, but something about getting lost in them made me feel like things made sense. Like I was safe. And it was a feeling I knew I could get used to if given the chance.

  But how could a man as accomplished as Jack Quinn have such simple desires? How could a man with everything truly crave a woman with nothing?

  Yet I wasn't nothing. Not to him anyway. In fact, even if he hadn't just described me down to a T, I would know I wasn't nothing just by the way he looked at me.

  And in that moment, not feeling like nothing was everything.

  Chapter 12: Jack

  I was falling for her. With every flick of her hair, every eye roll, and every lick of her lips, I was being further drawn under her spell.

  Thank god I'd dated gorgeous women before or I might have been tongue tied around her, especially because she wasn't just attractive. She was great company, too. Though I wished she would volunteer information about herself more readily.

  Then again, all women were hard work in their own way. So what if she was a little guarded. I didn’t care. All that mattered was the fact that being the guy making her smile made me feel better than anything I'd tried recently… and that included Jin's moonshine recipe.

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