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  She had ten minutes left so throw on a pair of black ankle boots and a black mid thigh length overcoat. Taking one last minute, she examined herself in the mirror, black shoulder length, straight hair: check, deep blue eyes: check. She wanted to ensure that she looked as she should, she really didn't want another mistake like the one at the restaurant a few days back.

  Snatching up her black satin purse, she entered the elevator and headed downstairs.

  As she stepped out of the elevator in the lobby she immediately saw him walking past the doorman. He took her breath away, he looked so striking. As usual, she supposed. While he looked great in a suit his casual look was much better. He looked relaxed. At ease.

  His faded blue jeans held tight against his powerful thighs. His chest was covered in a grey cable knit sweater, which matched his eyes beautifully. The faded brown leather jacket also suited him. This confirmed her opinion that he was easily one of the sexiest men she'd ever met.

  Anthony smiled and gave her a small wave as he walked toward her. His eyes gleamed, making her go weak at the knees, another feeling to which she was becoming accustomed. She found her palms were getting sweaty so she nervously wiped them on her pants.

  Get a grip woman; this isn't your first rodeo.

  He walked with confidence, his strides strong and determined. She couldn't help but think about that beautiful naked body under all the layers of clothing and how much she wanted to run her hands over it. She groaned inwardly.

  Finally making his way to her he pulled her into a light hug. She happily fell into his arms. Locking her hands behind his neck, she pressed the length of her body against his, her breasts crushed against his chest.

  His arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close as he lowering his head, his lips lightly caressed hers. Sweet and tender. Selene felt a flutter in her stomach. He pulled away leaving her yearning for more. She had had to use all her restraint to keep from claiming his lips for a second time.

  * * * *

  "You look beautiful," he complimented, taking a step back and openly admiring her, while keeping her soft, delicate hands held tightly in his. In his opinion, it was an understatement. The way her breasts pushed against the fine material of her white blouse, through which he could just faintly see her black lace bra, was a tease all in itself. A tease which made his cock twitch when simply look at her.

  "Thank you, you're looking pretty fine yourself. But then again I would expect nothing less from my knight in shining armour," she teased. Her eyes glittered with mischief.

  She was going to be a handful he suspected.

  "What about your ankle?" A worried expression crossed his face as he crouched down to inspect it for himself.

  With a laugh, Selene pulled him back up to his feet. "I'm fine, the ice worked wonders," she assured him.

  He could have sworn in the park her ankle was broken, he would have bet money on it. It was apparent he’d been mistaken. With a nod, he accepted the fact she was fine and let the issue drop. Keeping hold of her hand, they walked out of the lobby and headed for his black BMW, parked at the curb.

  Unlocking the door with a touch of a button, he opened the passenger side door for her. Anthony waited until she was secure in the seat before closing it behind her. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked around the front of the car. The intensity of her watchful eyes as she observed him made him burn inside; making him want her desperately.

  He had placed a single rose on the driver's seat, which he presented to her before sliding in behind the wheel. The smile she gave him in return would have been worth ten dozen roses to him. She looked up with admiration that made him feel like he could walk on water if he tried.

  "So where is this mystery date?" she asked bringing the rose up to her nose and inhaling its sweet scent.

  "I was thinking we could go a little crazy and take a nice leisurely drive through Newark," he teased as he his hand reached inside the pocket of his jacket.

  "Newark? Really?" she rolled her eyes at his sad attempt at humour.

  He heaved a loud sigh, as if she was being the most difficult person he'd ever come in contact with. "In that case will this do?" He produced two tickets from his inner pocket and passed them over to her. He started the car and pulled out from the curb without waiting for a response.

  * * * *

  Looking down at the tickets, Selene was thrilled. Unconsciously she let a squeal escape her lips. The tickets were to a new musical Love Me Forever that was playing at the Grannoll theatre. She had heard amazing reviews for it, but they had been sold out for months now. She wondered how he’d managed to wangle up tickets, for tonight of all nights.

  "So how did you manage to get these?" Selene asked waving them at him.

  He smiled, taking his eyes from the road for a brief moment. "Can't say. It's a secret."

  She arched an eyebrow at him.

  "Alright, let's just say there is a very happy scalper out there tonight."

  She laughed. She could only imagine. "You're not very good at keeping a secret."

  "Is that a problem for you?" His tone was amused.

  Shaking her head, she replied, "Not at all." That was when the sting of what she was doing hit her. Her whole life was a lie. She was continually shifting to alternate personalities and body types. She had long since lost track of what she really looked like. On a certain level, she really didn't even know who she was. While this was the form she usually took when not working, it wasn't truly her.

  She’d shifted form for the first time when she was sixteen. Back then she was a plain looking teenage girl, brown hair, brown eyes, freckles over the bridge of her nose and an average figure. She had been looking through a fashion magazine when she shifted for the first time, the plain girl next door turned into a tall, blond supermodel before her very eyes.

  At first, she had a hard time controlling it, but she soon learned to visualize what she wanted to look like and it simply happened. She was smart enough to keep it a secret. She later found out that her mother was a shifter and her father was human.

  She didn't even realize how quiet she had gotten, lost in her thoughts, until she felt the touch of his hand on her leg. Snapping back to reality, she noticed they were already there, or at least a few blocks from the theatre, as close as they were going to get. They would have to take the last few blocks by foot.

  "Are you alright?" He was looking at her, his eyes filled with concern. "Is your ankle bothering you?"

  She reached out and touched his cheek. He moved his head in her hand and kissed her palm. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the tremor that shot through her.

  She reached for the door handle, "I'm fine. Let's go."

  * * * *

  "So what did you think?" Anthony asked, casually putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as they walked from the theatre in the direction of the car. The night was clear and cool. She loved the weight of his arm and the heat from his body as he drew her close. He made her feel protected, cherished.

  The nagging feeling of her deceit shouted out within her. She hated that in order to be with him she would have to lie about virtually every aspect of her life. It felt wrong, but what was her alternative? The truth? Either he would think she was insane or consider her a monster, a freak. No, the truth was not an option.

  "You know, I have no idea how to take your silences," Anthony commented as he hugged her close once more. She let he head fall into the crook of his arm as they walked toward the car.

  She looked up at him, her face flushing. "I loved it. If you were looking to worm your way into the best date I've ever had slot, then you're doing pretty well."

  Anthony laughed softly, before giving her a sly wink. "You mean getting us tickets to the hottest musical in town along with the rose didn't secure me that spot?"

  She twirled out of his grasp, standing directly in his path. As he walked up to her she wrapped her arms around his neck, then pulled his head down
so his lips met hers. Her lips parted allowing his tongue entry into her mouth. Waves of lust, shot through her body starting at the top of her head and pulsating between her legs.

  Her nails dug into the leather of his jacket as he deepened the kiss, his tongue claiming hers. She pressed her body against his wantonly. While one of his hands snaked its way to her lower back the other found its way into her silky black locks.

  She could feel the occasional pedestrian's eyes on her, but this was New York City, it was nothing people hadn’t seen, numerous times before. And most certainly wouldn't be the last.

  * * * *

  Summoning all the restraint he could muster Anthony pulled away. Her body, her touch, the way her hips swayed seductively as she walked all set him afire. There seemed to be a nagging feeling though, something familiar about her. Familiar about all those things he loved about her.

  With a wicked grin lighting her face Selene placed a palm on his sweater-clad chest, and leaned in to him. "I think you've just about secured that top spot," she whispered in his ear, her breath sent thrills through him.

  His body was more than ready to spring into action. It took all the restraint he could muster to calm himself. He wanted to do this right. The stunning woman standing before him was someone he quite possibly might want in his life for more than a single night. So in turn he needed to respect that. Respect her.

  What you're going to do Mr. Winchester, is take her home, thank her for a lovely evening ,go home, possibly jack off and then have a good night’s sleep, he commanded himself.

  Taking her hand, he led her over to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for her, then closing it after she was settled in. Anthony was going to be the poster boy of chivalry even if it killed him tonight. By the ache in his groin he could say without a doubt that it was going to be one of the hardest things that he'd had to do in some time.

  As they drove home his resolved faltered, when he felt her hand slide over the gearshift and rest on his inner thigh. Her touch was light, but warm, his cock sprang up ready for action once more. He caught her watching him out of the corner of his eye. Many relationships formed fine even after sleeping with the other person on the first date. What was the harm really?

  He drove straight to her building. He needed to end their date now before his resolved fell through completely and he did what he wanted to save for another night. That is of course if she wanted to. By the steamy look in her eyes when he’d pulled away from their kiss earlier, he had a feeling that he was the one who would have to put his foot down and stop it.

  Throwing the car in park, he was out and around to her side opening her door for her before she even had her seatbelt undone. He hoped she didn't take it the wrong way and mistake his trying to be a gentleman for being a prick.

  She didn't seem to.

  "Thank you," her voice was silky smooth as her blue eyes dark with desire caught his.

  "I have an early meeting in the morning. I just remembered about," he raked a hand through his hair as he leaned over her bracing one hand on the hood of the car, trapping her between the car and his body.

  "Of course." She seemed amused, not offended, as her fingers traced the delicate petals of the rose he'd given her earlier. He had a feeling she could see right through his charade.

  She stepped up to him and placed a light kiss on his lips. Hers barely grazed his - just enough to drive him near insane from wanting her.

  "Tease," he whispered in her ear.

  "Uh-huh," she gave him a coy wink as she brushed past him, ensuring her breasts grazed his arm as she passed by.

  He watched, rooted to the spot as she walked away from him, heading for the entrance to her building.

  "Selene!" he called after her as she reached the halfway point between him and the doorway.

  She paused and made a half turn looking at him through a stray lock of hair that had blown across her face. She brushed the hair from her face as she waited for him to continue.

  "I'd like to see you tomorrow night."

  She smiled, that sweet, sexy smile that seemed to make him melt.

  "Well, you know where to find me, sir." She blew him a kiss before turning back and sauntering off, not looking back. He watched her until she disappeared from view, a grin on his face.

  "Very, very cheeky," he muttered. And damn, I can't get enough of it.

  Closing the passenger door, he jogged over to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel. As he started the car and merged into traffic, he was already in the process of planning tomorrow night’s date.

  * * * *

  Selene entered her home with a smile on her lips. She could seriously get used to this whole dating deal. Nothing was expected, nothing was required. It all was new: waiting for the first kiss; wondering about the next move. Will there be a second date? Won't there? She was loving it.

  It wasn't until tonight that she’d realized just how jaded she'd become over the years. A decade and a half of being an escort had made her see men and relationships as nothing more than business transactions. Tonight, however, she had come to realize what she was truly missing in her life.

  She had all the material things in life a person could want. Now she had to focus on what every person needs, someone to share it with. Anthony had shown her what she'd been missing all her life, love and companionship.

  Chapter 6

  The next day Anthony had a horrible time trying to concentrate on work. He had to read documents over numerous times just to retain what he was reading. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Selene.

  Driving over to meet her, he was pleased with himself for not making a move on her the previous night. It made the anticipation of seeing her tonight even more intense. A dozen red roses sat on the passenger side of the car, along with a box of chocolates. Perhaps it was overkill and a little unoriginal, but he was certain she would appreciate the gesture.

  Parking a couple blocks from the building's entrance, Anthony snatched up the roses and candy, and headed on foot to her building. The night was beautiful yet again, which was perfect since he planned an evening stroll through central park with her. Again perhaps not the most original of idea but he wanted to get to know her. A stroll would provide a nice quiet, even romantic atmosphere to do just that.

  His first thought was to take her to a nice restaurant or do something extravagant, but she didn't seem the type of woman who would be impressed with that. He was quite certain he was on the right track with the evening stroll.

  Selene was leaning against the wall of the foyer waiting for him as he stepped off the elevator into her place. The sight of her reclined against the wall, dress in a skimpy camisole and a short gold metallic skirt made him stop in his tracks. It was the boots that really drove him wild, black heeled boots that travelled up her long shapely legs to land just above the knee.

  He groaned inwardly, as he felt his cock come to life, already. If he didn't allow it to get some satisfaction soon he'd have to begin worrying about developing carpal tunnel syndrome from all the masturbating.

  A thought of Simone flashed through his mind. Annoyed with himself, he pushed the thought from his head, not even sure why he would think of Simone when there was a delicious looking, captivating woman standing before him.

  Selene openly looked him up and down, seeming to appreciate what she saw. "Are those for me?" She asked, as she pushed herself from the wall and sauntered towards him.

  "Well, since you didn't quite confirm that I had that top date spot yesterday, I am blaming it on the single rose I gave you. I was hoping a dozen, in combination with the chocolates would tip the scale for me," he teased.

  Selene accepted the roses, taking a moment to savour the aroma before taking the chocolates as well. "We'll see," she gave him a seductive look as she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. "Come on in, handsome," she called over her shoulder to him.

  With a laugh he made himself comfortable in the living room, walking over to th
e sofa and perching himself on the edge at one end. Minutes later, he heard the heels of her boots coming back down the hallway from the kitchen.

  "You know. I was giving it some thought after you left," he heard her say from the hallway.

  "And what did you think about?" he asked turning to face her as she appeared in the living room.

  "I didn't care for the way we said goodnight last night."

  Visibly confused by what she meant, he watched as she walked over to him. He'd thought how they left things had been fine. More than fine really. He quickly inventoried the previous night's events.

  Yup, it all seemed fine to him.

  Without another word, Selene finished closing the distance between them. Swinging a leg across his lap she sat straddling him. Using the palms of her hands on his chest, she pushed him against the soft plush back of the sofa.

  Anthony opened his mouth to say something, but her lips came crashing down on his before he could speak. Her kiss was hard and demanding, but he happily surrendered. His hands slid up her outer thighs to cup her ass in his hands, pulling her tighter against his groin.

  * * * *

  Selene relished in his shock at her bold move on him. The look of startled delight was priceless. For everything else there's MasterCard, her mind chimed in.

  Even more satisfying, however was the feel of his cock, hardening beneath her as she ground against him. The first urge she had when he arrived was to taste his lips, touch his muscular chest and feel his growing heat beneath her. So she had decided to take what she wanted now, or at least sample it for the time being.

  She ended the kiss as abruptly as it began, pushing herself off his lap to stand in front of him. She offered her hand to him.

  He accepted allowing himself to be tugged from the sofa.

  "So did you like the flowers?" he asked, reaching out and twirling a lock of her hair around his finger, feeling the soft, silky texture.

  "Why do you think you received such a welcoming hello?" She seductively licked her lips catching his eye once more before abruptly turning on her heel and heading for the elevator.