The crisp November air of the autumn harvest festival carried the scent of roasted pecans, woodsmoke, and sweet cider, but nobody was paying attention to the food. Not when Cherry was in the vicinity.
True to her name, she looked—and sounded—as sweet as a southern-baked pie. With a cascade of fiery red hair tumbling over her shoulders and a petite, delicate frame that boasted breathtakingly full, dramatic curves in all the exact right places, she was a kinky walking distraction. Tonight, she was dressed for the chill in a fitted rust-colored turtleneck sweater that clung to her every contour, a plaid mini skirt, and thigh-high boots that practically begged for a pair of hands to follow them upward.
Sweet Cherry was having the absolute time of her life, laughing brightly as her friends dared her to try the fiery jalapeño cider. Her melodic laugh cut through the ambient festival noise, drawing appreciative glances from every man within a fifty-foot radius. But Cherry wasn’t looking for just any glance. Tonight, the mischievous kinky spark in her emerald eyes meant she had plans to finish the night off right.
And then, she saw him.
Standing by the Ferris wheel, illuminated by the warm, amber glow of string lights, was a man who looked like he’d stepped right out of a romance novel. Broad-shouldered, wearing a worn leather jacket that framed a lean, muscular chest, and sporting a rugged jawline shadowed by dark stubble, he was breathtaking.
Their eyes locked across the bustling crowd. He didn’t look away. Instead, a slow, predatory smirk curved his lips, his gaze dragging down Cherry’s delectable curves before snapping right back to her eyes. The air between them suddenly felt a whole lot warmer, completely defying the November frost.
Cherry’s breath hitched. The sweet, innocent facade melted into something infinitely more dangerous and alluring. She licked her lips slowly, never breaking eye contact, and took a deliberate step away from her giggling friends.
The festival faded into a blur of background noise. As he pushed off the metal railing and began to stalk purposefully through the crowd toward her, Cherry knew her sweet evening was about to take a deliciously wicked turn. The night had finally begun