Three Rivers by Chloe T Barlow Read Free Book Online Page B

she squeaked loudly, suddenly overcome by how quickly everything was getting away from her and by the pleasantly warm and thrilling sensation running through her from his touch.
    If the rest of him tastes as good as that thumb I need to stop being an idiot and make at least something happen tonight . She grabbed her manhattan from the bar and took a big gulp of it. Let's do this girl, she cheered to herself.

    Griffen laughed at how the woman in front of him so quickly switched from Jessica Rabbit to Jessica Fletcher, as he quickly gestured for the bartender to come over.
    "Another round, man? It's last call."
    Griffen nodded and watched his new best friend rush away to make their drinks, as his mind went back to how charming and unpretentious Althea was.
    She smiled at him with that sexy half smile of hers and his heart clenched again as she asked, "You know, what do you do — what is your day job? Since I can only assume you spend your nights interrogating other helpless women like myself." She gave Griffen a little raised eyebrow and a smirk and it hit him straight in his crotch. She was starting to open up and he could tell this was just going to get more fun.
    "I'm shocked, just shocked that you think so poorly of me. You're the only woman I'm interested in interrogating right now, nighttime or not, but as for how I spend my time when I'm not trying to monopolize yours...I'm in town for a couple weeks as a visiting professor at Pitt. Journalism and nonfiction writing."
    Okay, it's true for now , he thought to himself.
    He didn't want to give her any indication that he was rolling in it. It was refreshing to be around a woman that didn't know who he was or what he had, and he wanted to keep it that way.
    "Pitt, really? What a coincidence."
    "Christ you aren't a Pitt student are you? Because picking up a Pitt student would not be the way to start off on the right foot," he laughed. "Even if it is just a short visit."
    "Oh no!" she laughed. "Pitt Law School. Class of '08."
    "So, this one's pretty obvious then, but I'll ask anyway. What do you do?"
    "I'm a lawyer," she grinned.
    "You don't say," he said sarcastically. "All right, now, what kind of lawyer are you?"
    "I do complex commercial litigation."
    "Big firm, little firm?"
    "Big global monster firm."
    "Exciting?"
    "Not really." He quirked an eyebrow at her.
    "Everyone pictures Boston Legal," she looked at his slightly confused face and added, "or whatever show about lawyers people are watching these days...but it's really one big company fighting another big company. I get into court and I find it interesting, so it works for me."
    When the fresh cocktails arrived they held them up to each other. "What should we drink to?" Griffen asked.
    "Baby steps," she said back to him.
    "Not sure what that means, but works for me. To baby steps and a beautiful woman in a helluva dress." She wore a cherry red dress that was low-cut and gathered provocatively around her breasts. It hugged all her curves in a way that made his hands itch to do the same. The straps were thick and soft and sat just right on her enticing shoulders. He wanted to bite those shoulders — and soon.
    "Oh, um, thanks," she said blushing.
    Christ, that blush is beautiful , he thought. He couldn't think of the last time he'd even seen a woman blush.
    "Well, it is some dress and you look great in it," he said, slowly perusing her red clad frame.
    She rolled her eyes. "I would've preferred jeans and a brow-beater but the girls hijacked my clothes too."
    "Brow-beater?"
    "Calling a ribbed tank top a 'wife beater' is misogynistic — so I say 'brow beater.'"
    He laughed. "I never thought of it that way, you're full of surprises."
    She winced, "Oh God."
    "What?"
    "I just realized how bad I am at this. I mean here is this great looking guy talking to me and I can't stop blathering on about stupid stuff like tank tops."
    He leaned forward and whispered, "I think you're doing great, gorgeous."
    "Yeah, swimmingly," she