When they reached the front of the line, Ruby placed her order for a cheese slice to the aproned man behind the counter, then looked at Troy expectantly for his order, a heightened awareness of him clear in her expression.

“You choose. When I tell you it tastes like plain old pizza, I’m not going to listen to you complain that I must have chosen the wrong slice.”

“He’s just touchy because we were talking about his mom’s bosoms,” she said with a conspiratorial wink at the man in the apron. “He’ll have a cheese slice, too, please. Followed by a slice of humble pie.”

“As long as it’s deep dish.”

“Quiet. You’re going to offend the pizza gods.”

Troy grinned. As he paid for their meal, it occurred to him that he was actually enjoying himself. And how long had it been since he could truly say that?

…

Ruby watched from across the table as Troy took his first bite of pizza. Somehow he managed to make the mundane look sensual, sinking his teeth in for a bite, ripping it off, and chewing slowly as the muscles in his throat and jaw worked. Her own slice sat forgotten on a greasy paper plate in front of her, getting colder by the second. She ran her damp palms up the thighs of her jeans and leaned forward for a sip of Sprite without taking her eyes off him.

“Well? What do you think?”

He leaned back in the creaking booth and considered her. “All right, you win. This is the Holy Grail of pizza. The sauce…”

Ruby tilted her head and smiled. “Is it better than your mother’s?”

Troy gestured at her with a napkin. “You will never get me to say that out loud.”

Eyebrows raised, she looked around the shop.

“How would she know?”

“I have no idea, but she would. Trust me. It would be like a pizza-shaped bat signal flashing over my parents’ house.”

“You better stay quiet then,” she said with mock-seriousness. “What kind of signal would flash if she knew you were out with a girl you met hustling in a bar?”

Shrugging, he took a sip out of her drink, and Ruby’s stomach clenched at the intimacy of that.

“Honestly? She’d probably just want to know if you were Italian.”

She pinched her fingers together. “A little bit.

Enough to appreciate her sauce.” Outwardly, she cringed at her impulsive comment. “Oh, God. I didn’t mean that to sound weird. I’m not planning on trying your mother’s sauce or anything.” Sighing dramatically, she squeezed her eyes closed. “When I open my eyes, if you’re gone, I won’t hold it against you.”

When she peeked open one eyelid, he sat smirking at her from across the table. After a second, he leaned forward and picked up her hand. With his thumb, he massaged small circles into her palm, and Ruby could feel the tiny movement everywhere on her body. “If my mother were here, she would say you’re too skinny to leave that whole slice of pizza sitting in front of you on the table.”

She swallowed with difficulty. “Maybe I’m not hungry anymore.”

“You need to eat.” His gaze dropped to her mouth.

“You might not get another chance for a while, so take advantage now.”

Ruby’s senses fired, her body practically liquefying in the hard, plastic seat. Underneath the table, she teased his pant leg with her foot. “Take advantage of the pizza now so you can take advantage of me later?”

His lips twitched. “Are you playing footsie with me?”

Next to them, the priest cleared his throat loudly before exiting his booth and tossing his garbage in the trash with a righteous sniff in their direction.

They both ducked their heads and laughed. Biting her lip, Ruby edged her foot slightly higher, rubbing the inside of his knee. “Is footsie not cool anymore? I didn’t get the memo.”

“Oh, it’s feeling pretty cool right about now.” His expression heated. “Any way I can convince you to take that pizza to go?”

Every pulse point in her body beat loud and fast.

“So impatient.”

“I did warn you.”

His voice had dropped significantly, its rough quality stroking her skin. Suddenly, she regretted walking so far from his car to get pizza. She wanted to be alone with him now, in a private place where he could give her what she needed. On Friday night, he’d driven her past the point of reason, demanded incredible responses from her body, made her say things that she’d been blushing about ever since. Now, she wanted it again. She wanted Troy to bring her home and… take her.

“You’re not the only one who’s been impatient.”

Her ankle brushed against his fly. Across from her, he tensed, as if fully prepared to drag her bodily across the table. “Get me home quick, Troy. Before we make a scene.”

Chapter Seven

Troy barely remembered the walk back to the car or subsequent ride home after the pizza shop. Could hardly focus on anything other than the girl in the seat next to him. Crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Wetting her lips. Looking up at him under heavy black lashes with such undisguised need on her face that he felt burned by the heat of it. He couldn’t deny a feeling of triumph. She hadn’t made finding her as easy as he’d thought it would be. When he’d called the Baruch registrar’s office, they’d provided him a copy of her class schedule, but he’d been forced to wait for Monday and her first class of the week.

His displeasure over having to wait for three days made him edgy. Restless. Eager. And yet, some primal part of him relished the chase. Appreciated it, even.

She’d run. He’d gone in pursuit, found her, and now he was bringing her home to take his reward. Adrenaline, mixed with sharp arousal, surged through him, making him crazy to touch her. See her naked. Make her moan.

What would that first sweet shove inside her be like?

Would she spread her legs or wrap them around him tight? How many times could he get her to scream his name?

Hands tight on the steering wheel, he tried to dampen the fire, just long enough to get her out of the car, up the elevator, and inside his apartment. It didn’t work. The insistent throb in his pants made him grit his teeth. Even through the haze of lust, he recognized how unusual it was for him to feel this kind of urgency. He had a healthy sexual appetite that he indulged when his work allowed it. What he couldn’t comprehend was his appetite for Ruby. Only Ruby. If any other girl had walked out on him like she’d done Saturday morning, he would’ve forgotten about it by the time he hit the shower. With her, however, he felt a constant, physical craving. It should alarm him, but he couldn’t see past his need long enough to care or examine it further.

They pulled up outside his building, and he parked his unmarked vehicle in the closest spot he could find, about two blocks away. One thing he’d learned about Manhattan since moving here a little over a week ago?

Parking was a bitch. Especially when the girl walking at your side along the sidewalk looked like she wanted to climb you like a tree. Troy yanked open the door leading to the building’s lobby and pulled her inside by the hand. He punched the button for the elevator and released a tension-filled breath when the doors rolled open immediately.

As soon as the doors closed in the empty elevator, she ran her palms up underneath his jacket and scraped her nails back down, over his ni**les and navel. His c**k swelled so huge that it threatened to break through the zipper of his dress pants. Roughly, he took her hands and placed them over his erection, molding her fingers into a tight grip around it. Her eyelids drooped slightly, and she bit her lip.