Lucky 13: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants #13) Read online

  I opened strong and before I knew it it was time for the move I had been practicing…the backflip. It was dangerous as hell, but I was here to provide the fantasy, and that’s exactly what I did when I stuck the landing and made my way to her table.

  She was shaking when I reached for her hand. Her small, soft, delicate hand that was like a flower. Even from a distance she smelled so good. I caught her scent when I kissed her hand. I wonder if she felt me breathe in her aroma as I kissed her.

  Everything was going perfect when I got her onstage. I turned and faced the crowd. I had to keep them involved, but more importantly I wanted them all to see that this this was my girl.

  When I turned to begin her one-on-one her eyes shot open. She looked terrified.

  I did my routine and she seemed to enjoy it, but she looked like she saw a ghost or something.

  As I slid my body just inches over the top of hers I whispered, “You okay, beautiful?”

  “Uhhh yeah.”

  Not the reaction I was expecting and definitely not the one I was hoping for.

  I gave the dance everything I had, but I never got that moment out of her that I was expecting…the one when she totally freaks out because she’s so overcome with excitement and pleasure. Something was off and I couldn’t quite figure it out. It’s like that moment you come out of the bathroom and can’t understand why everyone is looking at you funny until you realize you have a piece of toilet paper stuck underneath your shoe, but considering I had on nothing more than a fire engine red banana hammock, I knew that wasn’t the case.

  I carried her back to her seat after the dance. As I sat her down I heard an older lady say, “Young lady I hope you creamed yourself, because I certainly did!”

  Damn that girl was beautiful, but why didn’t she respond like I expected? The dance was good. The crowd was going nuts and the guys backstage said it was the best they’d seen in quite some time.

  Something was up with that mystery girl, and I had to find out what it was. And more importantly who she was, because there was no way I wasn’t going to see her again.

  CHAPTER 3

  Addison

  Three days later

  I cut the lights a block from my best friend Delaney’s house and parked across the street. For the next five minutes I’m sitting in my car looking in through her windows just to make sure there is nobody I don’t know inside.

  I ring the bell and am greeted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Glad you could make it!”

  “You know I wouldn’t miss my last chance to say goodbye to my girl before she goes back to UCLA for what…the next three months?”

  “At least. Uhhh. If I’m going to double major and still graduate on time I’ll have to take summer school this semester.”

  “Your first summer in L.A. Lots of cute boys will be around I bet.”

  “You have no idea. It’s L.A. so you get a lot of the trust fund types, models, and surfers. It’s eye candy heaven, but with Tinder and all the other things that make hooking up so easy it’s super hard to establish a real connection with anyone.”

  “Is that what you’re looking for right now?”

  “Not really. I’ll graduate next year so I can start looking for a real relationship then…at least that’s what I tell myself.”

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

  Delaney’s shoulders slouched and her lips pursed. “You know, with all this technology and everything I don’t know how anybody makes a connection anymore.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  “Okay, no whining,” she said, snapping herself out of her funk. “Have to remain positive, at all— Hi dad.”

  The sound of glass shattering echoed from the walls as the cardboard box fell from his hands.

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll get a broom,” Delaney said. “Dad, this is Addison. Addison this is my dad, Dylan.”

  There he was. All six foot whatever of him, and let’s not forget his other measurement…thirteen inches.

  I don’t know whose mouth hung open wider, his or mine, as we just stared at each other from across the room.

  “Be right back,” Addison said, as she joyfully scurried off to get a broom.

  “It’s you,” he said. “The angel in the blue dress.”

  Wow, he was laying it on thick with the angel talk, but coming from a guy who was as hot as he was I really couldn’t complain. And being that he was so other-worldly hot not only couldn’t I complain…I couldn’t get my lips to move if my life depended on it.

  He was in low-slung dark blue jeans. He had on workman boots, maybe the same he wore for his Bob the Builder routine. And as good as his lower half looked, and as famous as it was, it was his upper half that had me feeling butterflies.

  He had a white t-shirt thrown over his shoulder, and that was it. His shoulders were like chiseled mini-basketballs. Are there really that many muscles in the shoulder? I stood there drooling as I pondered my own question. I sure didn’t remember that many from anatomy class.

  And his chest. Oh my god, his chest. They were like two tectonic plates sitting side by side and as he breathed they shifted just enough to cause a San Andreas sized earthquake in my panties.

  And abs? They must have been having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on six-packs the day he was made. Good lord, I could clearly count twelve distinct abdominal muscles. How many sit-ups does that take? And for how many years?

  My biggest dream guy and worst nightmare had collided head on to form this moment.

  I had specifically requested to meet with Delaney later in the day, just to make sure her dad would be at “work.” So much for that idea.

  “Hi, I’m Dylan,” he said, stepping across the room towards me. He was just a few feet away now and I could see the beads of sweat glistening on his skin, and his chest rising and falling from all the lifting and packing of boxes. I could smell his light, yet masculine scent. “We were never…properly introduced,” he said.

  Considering he had been grinding on top of me in front of a sold out show just a few days before, I found him to be extremely professional and nice. He didn’t act smug at all, a refreshing change from any boy my age who would have recognized me from his…um “work” in such an establishment.

  “Pleasure to get your name and meet you properly, Addison,” he said looking down over me. He was so big and immediately gave me a protective vibe. I felt like I could just cuddle up to him if I was ever in trouble and all my fears and worries would just go away. He definitely looked like the type of guy who could make that happen.

  “Properly, dad? What are you English now?” Delaney laughed. “This is the guy you’ve probably seen in pictures in my room, Addison.”

  “Ummm yeah. I recognized him.”

  “Yeah, he’s hard to miss…with his size and all.”

  I swallowed hard. “Yeah, he’s pretty big.”

  Dylan started laughing.

  “What’s so funny, dad?”

  “I am standing right here. I can hear you talking about me.”

  “True, which is why it’s great for you to meet Addison. She lives here in Vegas and knows a lot of the young professional crowd. Right, Addy?”

  “Right,” I said.

  “Maybe she knows someone who’s looking for someone with your skill set.”

  Hello? What girl isn’t looking for a guy whose skill set includes knowing just how to work his monster cock, and grinding a girl to the point of total hysteria like a thirteen year old at a Bieber concert? But this was no Bieber…this was certified U.S.D.A. Grade A hottie.

  “Yeah,” I muttered.

  “Dad’s looking for work. Right now he’s just freelancing.”

  That’s what they call it these days? Before I had time to laugh he shot me a sexy smirk getting me all hot and flustered again, and he topped it off with a wink. Talk about a cherry on top of the hot guy sundae.

  Delaney quickly finished sweeping up the broken glass.

  �
�Sorry, guys, but I have to run. Is the car all packed up, dad?”

  “All set, honey.”

  “Thanks. And don’t worry about the wine glasses. I can grab some of those at Tarjay close to campus.”

  “Okay, you two know each other now. Addy, stay as long as you like. You know mi casa es tu casa.”

  “Bueno,” I said like an idiot, as Delaney kissed me on the cheek and gave me a hug before doing the same with her dad. Her totally sexy, half naked, famous for his man meat dad.

  “Toodles,” she said as she walked out the front door.

  “So,” Dylan said. With a name like Dylan Cox he was made to be an erotica card dealer here in Vegas, if such a thing even existed. But right now the only thing he was dealing out was a whole lotta trouble…for me.

  CHAPTER 4

  Addison

  S orry we had to meet the way we did,” he said.

  “Um, it’s okay,” I said. Believe me, it’s really okay.

  “I have something for you,” he said. “Just give me one second.”

  I don’t think I had moved from the spot where I was standing since I first saw him. My body felt heavy, like I was glued to the floor.

  As he turned to walk away I got a good look at his back. I knew he looked amazing from the other night at the club, and he was an exotic dancer after all, but away from all the fog machines and strobe lights, he actually looked even better.

  And the way his hips moved. He was so athletic, right down to his super cute butt, which was being hugged just right by his pants. Not too tight where he looked like a hipster, and not too loose like most of those big M.C. Hammer parachute pants the weightlifter guys wear…just right.

  A few seconds later he was back.

  He extended a clasped hand. I instinctively extended mine, palm up. My body subconsciously moved closer to his. He opened his fingers and into my hand dropped a necklace.

  “I found this at the club. I thought you dropped it.”

  “Thank you,” I said, surprised. I had been looking for it since that night, thinking it was gone forever. A young woman who worked in the group home where I spent my youth gave it to me. It was the only actual birthday present I ever remembered receiving. It stayed around my neck always, reminding me to be more adventurous, although it didn’t always have the effect I was after.

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad it’s back to its rightful place, with you.

  His words gave me goose bumps. I knew Delaney for years and could see where she got her thoughtfulness from. She may have had to leave in a mad dash this time, but generally she was always looking out for other people first.

  “We tried calling you from the front desk, but the number was disconnected. Fake number I’m guessing,” he said, giving me a mischievous grin.

  “Guilty as charged, officer.”

  “Are you stalking me?”

  “No…umm, what do you mean? You’re the one calling me.”

  “Oh, I thought maybe you knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  “Last night was my officer routine. Officer Oliver or Nathan Nightstick, or whatever they had picked out for me.”

  “Officer Oakley, get your gun.”

  Dylan laughed. “Wow, you’re pretty good at this,” he said. “Maybe it’s you who should be looking to make a career change.”

  “To what, exactly?” I asked, not really excited at the prospect that he might have been thinking of me as a stripper type, although the thought of him wanting to see me naked was a whole 'nother ballgame.

  “All Male Review Performer Namer, the pay isn’t so great, but the perks certainly are…not that I want you checking out any guys other than me.”

  I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Dylan was my best friend’s dad, so he was obviously older, but he wasn’t a stiff Type A suit kind of guy. He was just a really cool laid-back dad who happened to be unbelievably gorgeous. And from the sound of things our dance at the club meant a little more than I realized.

  But I couldn’t dismiss what he was doing for a living. It didn’t really jive with long-term relationship potential, nor did his age. There were just a lot of differences between us, and although I definitely felt an extremely strong connection for him I couldn’t deny most of it was physical. Then again I hadn’t had the chance to really know him yet.

  I stared into his eyes. Even his eyes were sexy, but more importantly they were kind. With his size I’m sure he could push people around if he wanted to, but he wasn’t aggressive. If anything I was the one growing more and more aggressive towards him by the moment. It was taking all the willpower in the world not to reach out and run my fingertips over each and every groove on his amazing body.

  He must have sensed what I was feeling, because like a true man he made the first move.

  He stepped in closer to the point where I could smell his musky masculinity again. His hand came up and his thump and index finger found my cheek, tracing its outline before pushing my hair back and away behind my ear.

  Due to our height difference I was staring into that chest of his that I had fantasized about twice already. Third time’s a charm, right?

  I reached out my hand and placed it on his pectoral muscle. I pressed down with my fingertips, but nothing moved. He really was hard as a rock.

  I felt my panties moisten instantly and I rubbed my hand nervously across his muscle.

  His thumb and index finger slid around from behind my ear, tracing my jawline until settling on my chin. He raised my head up, moving my gaze from his chest to his eyes.

  There was no way I could resist, nor did I want to at this point.

  His head leaned in, stopping just short of my lips. I could feel his breath on my mouth as his hand slid back down my jawline as he took the side of my neck in my hand.

  I felt chills up my spine as a bead of sweat rolled down it. I could feel my legs shaking like a baby deer trying to take her first steps.

  His breath grew warmer until his lips gently met mine. He was older, experienced, and not in a rush like boys my age. I didn’t feel pressured or coaxed. Everything felt right as I leaned into him, my hand on his chest while my other grabbed his oblique muscles before sliding around to his backside for a squeeze. What a butt!

  He continued kissing me gently, just how I wanted. Before I knew it my kisses became more aggressive as did his in return. His grip shifted to the back of my head and he was guiding our mouths to explore even deeper and more intimately.

  “Forgot my jacket!” came from the back, as the screen door shut.

  I pushed off him, putting space between us just before Delaney rounded the corner coming into the room.

  “Oh, you guys are still here. Did you even move?”

  “Not yet,” he said. “We’re still…getting to know each other.”

  “Yeah, but I have to run,” I said, pulling a business card from my purse and handing it to him. “Nice meeting you Mister Cox, I’ll let you know if any opportunities matching your skill set arise.”

  I turned and quickly exited out the front door, nearly screeching the tires as I pulled away from the curb.

  “That was so close,” I said to myself, shaking as I drove.

  I felt an extreme amount of anxiety and tension.

  I turned on the radio only to be greeted by T-Pain singing, “I fell in love with a stripper.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Dylan

  F ive minutes later Addison was back on the road and I was back in the shower for a second time today. I needed to clean up after breaking a sweat helping my daughter pack, but there was a new reason that was much more important.

  I slid out of my jeans and boxer briefs and hung them on the hanger. I turned on the water and just stood outside the shower staring at it…her business card. I wanted so much more. I wanted her with me right here, right now, but for now I’d have to accept a way to contact her.

  Baby steps, Dylan. But my desire to have her had no patience. An hour ago if someone would have told me th
ey had her phone number I would have given anything to get it, but now that I’d been so close to her the idea of just a phone number being enough was long forgotten.