Faster Harder Read Free Page A

type.”
    “Really?” I reply, “And what, exactly, do you think my type
is?”
    “Smart guys,” Charlie says, “The quiet, sensitive kind. Not
tattooed bad boys with affinities for tequila.”
    “Maybe that’s just the type of guy I’ve been settling for,”
I say airily.
    “Settling?” Charlie says, “That’s nice, Siena. Real nice.”
    “What’s your problem?” I ask, “It’s not like I'm talking
about you.”
    “No...You never seem to be,” Charlie says, turning his gaze
from me.
    I take a long sip of my frosty drink. All I wanted was to
enjoy a carefree night on the town in this beautiful city before the madness of
this weekend starts. But instead, I’m stuck babysitting the hurt feelings of
this guy who’s been carrying a torch for me for a quarter of a century? Not
exactly my idea of a good time.
    “You really don’t need to stay if you’re not into this
scene,” I tell Charlie, “I can fend for myself, you know.”
    “Is this the point in the evening where I’m supposed to take
a hint?” he asks.
    I swallow down a frustrated retort and let Charlie come to
his own conclusions. He looks like the last kid to be picked for the kickball
team, he stands and hurries away from me, his half-empty glass of wine
collecting condensation on the table.
    As Charlie makes his exit, I let my eyes wander back across
the bar and dance floor, but my mystery man is nowhere to be found. A bubble of
disappointment is just about to pop inside me when I feel a brush of fingertips
against my arm.
    “How’s the drink love?” says a rich baritone voice from over
my shoulder. I turn to find my new tatted-up friend standing casually beside
me. His words are cloaked in a delicious British accent, one of my personal weaknesses.
If pressed, I don’t think I could come up with a more intriguing man with whom
to spend an evening. 
    “Perfect,” I tell him, as he sits down beside me. “How’d you
guess my drink?”
    “I’m pretty good at reading people,” he says, grinning at me
wickedly.
    “How funny,” I tell him, “So am I.”
    “Is that so?” he says, “Why don’t you give me a good read,
then?”
    “Gladly,” I say, taking a sip of my drink, “My read on you
is...that you’re used to getting what you want, when you want it.”
    “True,” he smiles.
    “I also guess that you’re not very familiar with the word
no?”
    “I don’t have much experience with it, no,” he allows.
    “And I imagine that you’ve been practicing that sexy smile
in the mirror since you were fourteen years old?” I tease.
    “Ten, actually,” he says, “I got a bit of a head start.”
    “Should have guessed.”
    “Why don’t you come and join me and my friends?” he asks me,
offering me his hand.
    “Alright,” I agree, cupping his fingers in mine. Little
tendrils of sensation skate up my arm as he tightens his grasp. I can tell just
from the way he holds my hand that this is a man who’s practiced in touching a
woman’s body. But even though I’m dying to know what his touch feels like... elsewhere , the fact
that he’s so experienced almost makes me want to pull back a little. Make him
work even harder than he’s used to.
    My companion leads me across the dance floor, and I watch as
every person he passes stops and stares. He’s absolutely magnetic, this one,
irresistible to anyone in his path. And tonight, he’s chosen me to be at his
side. For my part, I’m used to lingering in the background of photo ops for my
famous family, so being at someone’s side for once is a nice change of pace.
    Together, we approach a throng of four incredibly attractive
people and come to a stop. Eight inquisitive eyes swing my way, and I do my
best to smile gamely. There’s one other man in the group, a slightly burlier
version of my new friend with a boyish grin and shaggy hair. The other three
people in the group are all women around my own age.
    “I’d like you all to meet my new acquaintance,” says