Unable to resist, he pulled her close, lowering his mouth to hers. A low moan sounded from her throat as he licked into her mouth. The sound was enough to have him instantly hard. When her tongue darted out to touch his, he was on the verge of pulling her back to her apartment and ordering a damn pizza for dinner after he’d sated his hunger that burned for her. The scary part was that he knew deep down that once would be only the beginning. His Angel was fast becoming an addiction that had thrown his life in disarray.

They were pulled from the moment when a car passed by, honking the horn repeatedly. “Well, crap,” she snapped crossly as she glared at the retreating vehicle. Apparently, she didn’t like the interruption any more than he did.

He tapped her chin, smiling at her disgruntled expression. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll pick that up again later if you’re a good girl.”

She blushed, which he found adorable. Most of the women who came to his bed weren’t capable of that kind of innocent embarrassment anymore. Innocence was a heady thing, and hers captivated him. “I thought you liked your women bad.”

Shit, had she really just said that? Lighten up, she’s just joking around. Everything isn’t a sexual innuendo. He directed most of his pep talk toward his wayward cock as he crossed the front of the car and settled into the seat beside Crystal. Her sweet scent filled the small space around him, and he had his next epiphany. He should have let Denny drive. She was so close now, and there was no way to put distance between them. Don’t stare at her tits and don’t put your hand between her legs. Dear God, just look away from her. Pretend she’s Denny. His good intentions lasted until he pulled out of her parking lot. Then somehow, his hand ended up on her bare knee. It was all her fault. Her damn dress was way too short. How was he supposed to resist touching so much exposed skin?

When she started laughing, he realized that he’d voiced his question aloud. Real smooth, man. “Sorry,” he mumbled, feeling like some kind of socially awkward reject. When she put her hand on his, moving it up higher, his heart rate accelerated into the danger zone. Great, I’m going to have a stroke from a little contact with her bare leg.

“I wanted to wear a dress that would make you want me,” she confessed shyly.

Inhaling a jerky breath, he said hoarsely, “Angel, I couldn’t give a fuck what you wear. I’d want you if you were wearing granny panties and a burlap sack. Trust me: it’s the woman, not the clothes, that attracts me.”

Her grip tightened on his hand as she asked a question that had him weaving all over the road. “Can we . . . just skip dinner and go to your place?”

“Angel,” he groaned as he righted the car. At this rate, he’d be pulled over for DUI without ever touching a drop of alcohol. “Let me just go ahead and tell you that we’re not having sex tonight. Now that it’s out there, we don’t have to stress about it all evening.” What in the hell did I just say? It’s as if Angel and I have switched bodies. I’m the virginal girl and she’s the horny guy.

She crossed her arms and gave what sounded like a huff of irritation. “But why not? I mean, you know I’m receptive, right?”

Mark wanted to beat his head against the steering wheel. This wasn’t going at all as he’d planned. She was testing his resolve, and he wasn’t even sure why he wanted to resist in the first place. Now it was almost like some sort of contest that he was determined to win—or at least survive. “Baby, can you just please let me be the better man for once? I’m trying so hard not to treat you like I have other women, and you’re making it hard—like really hard.” When she opened her mouth to say what was probably something else that would blow his mind, he quickly added, “Let’s wait until we’re at the restaurant to finish this conversation, okay? I’d like to avoid wrapping the car around a pole tonight if that’s okay with you.”

He switched on the stereo to a soft-rock station and tried to relax as the music filled the car. Maybe this was the grown-up version of a time-out, because that was exactly what he needed right now. A moment to regroup and start thinking about stuff like his parents, grandparents, and anyone else who would be a complete turnoff. Because focusing on Angel was out of the question right now or he’d do something crazy like park behind a deserted building and take her on the hood of his car. His mind raced with the least sexy images he could come up with: Denny, the little old lady at Starbucks, bad sushi, Angel throwing up on his shoes . . .

• • •

I must have said something wrong, Crystal thought glumly as Mark sprinted from the driver’s seat as soon as they reached the restaurant. Mia had advised that she should simply be honest with him about what she wanted, and she figured asking to go to his house made her feelings pretty clear. Only something about it had freaked him out. He’d almost run off the road, but even more alarming was the fact that he was chanting something under his breath repeatedly. She thought she caught Denny’s name and something about his mother. Was he on some type of medication? If not, maybe he needed to look into that, because he was acting kind of crazy.

She saw a valet approaching her door, before Mark waved him away. She reached for the handle just as he flung it open. The result was her almost tumbling from the low-slung seat and onto the pavement. Luckily, he managed to catch her before that happened. Dear God, so far, they were almost a disaster together. She was awkward enough on her own; she certainly didn’t need any help in that area from a man who normally seemed so smooth and polished. He mumbled an apology before helping her to stand.