This story involves characters from "The Agent" series. However, you don't need to read the prior stories to understand this one. There are some Easter Eggs for those who have, but it's not necessary to have read any of the prior tales.
***
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Seated alone at a table in the hotel bar at the Ritz-Carlton, Layna looked up from her Kindle, brushed back her long blonde hair, then regarded the stranger who offered to buy her a drink. He stood across the table from where she sat, striking what must have been his go-to pose. He was the third man to offer to buy her a drink tonight.
The man was handsome, with his mid-length dirty blonde hair, surfer tan, strong jawline, and cocky grin. He appeared to be in his late-twenties and was dressed well in a trendy patterned dress shirt and black slacks, which fit snugly and hinted at a hard, athletic body beneath. He held himself with the confidence of a man who was used to women welcoming his advances.
She hadn't seen him in the hotel's bar earlier. She'd familiarized herself with most of the patrons and didn't recall seeing him around. He must have just walked in.
She smiled at the man, then answered him, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm still finishing my last drink." She gestured to a glass of white wine on the table, which was half full.
"It looks like you're about ready for another," he suggested with a bright smile.
"Are you planning to stick around long enough for me to finish?" she inquired, amusement in her tone.
"That depends," he said.
"On what?" she asked.
"On whether you're expecting someone." He gestured to the large princess-cut diamond ring on her left hand. "Will your husband be joining you?"
"No," she replied, setting her Kindle down on the coffee table in front of her. She sat back in her chair, crossing her right leg over her left knee. She dangled her black heel off her toes, then bounced her foot, drawing the man's attention to the expensive diamond and platinum anklet wrapped around her right ankle. She folded her arms under her breasts, pressing them up, then smiled at the man.
Wearing a skimpy black cocktail dress that showed off her shapely bosom, tanned shoulders, and long, silky legs, she felt and looked sexy. As wife, mother, and successful business owner, she didn't always feel sexy. Usually, her many roles just left her feeling exhausted.
Yet, it was the diamond anklet, dangling off her thin ankle, of which she was most acutely aware. That little piece of jewelry had her feeling... naughty. Dirty. She liked the way it felt, liked the reactions it drew.
The man's eyes locked in on her anklet and his smile broadened. He apparently understood its significance.
He flashed his cocky grin again, then sat down in the chair across from her. "Do you mind if I sit?" he asked after the fact.
She chuckled at the man's audacity. He was persistent, and confident. She'd give him that.
Layna continued to watch the man as he blatantly ogled her, licking his lips as he eyed her bare legs and pronounced cleavage. Her dress had a plunging neckline, and cutoff mid-thigh, revealing ample amounts of her tan flesh for the curious eye to gaze upon. And this man's eyes were indeed gazing exactly as she'd intended.
"What's your name?" the man asked, eyeing her hungrily.
"Layna," she replied, tilting her head slightly as she regarded him curiously. "What about you?"
"Hunter," he answered. "It's nice to meet you Layna. What brings you here?"
"I was looking for a nice place to read," she said, playing with the diamond necklace wrapped around her neck while her foot continued to bounce tantalizingly on her knee. "And maybe hoping for a little excitement. A little adventure."
"Is there a specific kind of
excitement
you're looking for?" he asked slowly, his eyes repeatedly going to the diamond anklet swaying from her foot.
"There is," she teased with a wry smile.
"Perhaps I could help," he offered, scooting closer in his chair as his eyes darted from her eyes to her tits to her legs.
She smiled at him. "I like your confidence, Hunter," she complimented him. "However, I'm still weighing my options."
He grinned at the rejection, clearly not ready to give up yet. She decided to give him further hope.
"Tell you what," she said, "stick around. I'll probably make up my mind by the time I finish this glass of wine. If I decide I'd like you to be the one to buy my next drink, I'll let you know."
His hope restored, Hunter's cocky smile returned as he stood up. "I'll be over there," he said, pointing to an empty table inside the bar.
She smirked to herself as Hunter walked away. Once he sat down at the table he pointed out, he faced her and watched her intently.
She picked up her Kindle and returned to her book. But only for a minute.
"Can
I
buy you a drink?"
Layna grinned when she heard the sexy, masculine voice.
She looked up from her Kindle, across the table, and saw yet another man, this one older than the last. He had dreamy blue eyes, dark hair that was buzzed short, and a charming smile. He stood almost six feet tall and appeared to be around forty years old.
He was dressed in chocolate-colored slacks, a white dress shirt, and light brown oxford shoes. With the top buttons of his shirt unbuttoned, and his sleeves rolled up, she spotted tattoos peeking out on his upper chest and both forearms, all of which appeared completely hairless.
She smiled at the newcomer as she again set her Kindle down on the table. "I don't know," she replied contemplatively. "There are so many options on the wine menu here, and several of them look pretty good." She stole a glance at Hunter, then leaned back in her chair, crossing her right foot over her left knee again, and flashing her hotwife anklet.
"I think I can help you find something you'll like," he said, sliding into the chair across from her. His eyes glanced toward Hunter, then he grinned. "The regular wine menu is actually pretty average."
The newcomer flagged a waitress, who immediately came over to him. She bent forward, and he whispered something in her ear that Layna couldn't hear. The waitress looked at the man, nodded her head, then headed toward the bar.
As the waitress hurried off, Layna regarded her new visitor with curiosity. The man sitting across from her looked similar to, and yet so much different than, her husband, Jake. He shared Jake's build, eye color, height, and coloring. Yet, the man seated across from her seemed rougher, edgier. The shaved head, the tattoos, the apparent absence of body hair from what she could see. And there was an air to him; something dangerous and exciting.
She liked the man sitting across from her.
She raised an eyebrow at him as he returned his gaze to her. "I ordered us some wine," he offered. "Something off menu."
"Really?" Layna asked, intrigued by her new suitor. "How do I know this off-menu wine will be any better than the ones on the menu?"
"I think I have a good read for what you'll like," he replied, his eyes watching her intensely.
"Oh really?" she questioned, eyebrow raised and smiling at his response. "And how does one order off the menu here?"
"That's classified information," he rumbled with a playful grin. "But I can share this, if you stick with me then I'll make sure you experience the best this place has to offer."
Layna rolled her eyes at his cheesy line. Fortunately for him, he was saved by the waitress who brought over a bottle of wine and two empty glasses. Looking at the bottle's label, it was a wine she recognized. He had good taste, she thought, as she bit her lower lip while inspecting him closer.
"Have you had Dominus before?" he asked as the waitress uncorked the bottle.
"I have," she answered.
"Do you like it?" he asked as the waitress poured him a small taste to ensure the wine wasn't corked.
"Very much," Layna purred seductively, their eyes locked on one another as he sipped the wine.
"That sounds like a story," he noted with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He turned his head momentarily, nodding to the waitress who had been waiting patiently, then turned his attention back to Layna. At his signal, the waitress poured a glass of the red wine for Layna, then filled his glass.
"It is," she answered with a smirk, knowing she was making him work for information.
"Can I hear it?" he requested, raising his glass to her.
Layna leaned forward and clinked her glass against his, then replied, "It's rather personal. I think I need to know a little more about you before I share personal information. Like, perhaps start with your name." She sat back as she took a sip, the delicious claret coating her tongue before she swallowed it down.
He flashed her a charming smile, then set his wine glass on the table in front of them. "I'm Bryant," he said, offering her his hand. "And you are?"
"Layna," she replied, taking his hand and shaking it. "And what do you do for a living Bryant?"
"I buy and sell real estate," he said, retrieving his wine glass and sitting back in his chair.
"A flipper, huh?" she asked, swirling her glass in front of her as she took in his measure.
"Ouch," he feigned offense. "And what do you do?"
"I co-own a sports management agency with my husband. We represent professional athletes."
"That's impressive," he said as his eyes roamed from her face to her chest to her long, smooth legs. When his eyes noticeably rested on her anklet, he asked with a smirk, "Is your husband here tonight?"
