"I'm scared," she said. "I don't think I want to do this anymore."

"Hey, it's okay. I'll be right here with you." His voice was deep and soothing. She almost felt her fear slip away... almost.

"What if it hurts going in and coming out?"

"It might. That's the risk we take."

She picked up one of the chicken wings in front of her and smelled it.

"It just smells like... sauce," she said, suspiciously, turning it over in her fingers as if it might reveal some hidden warning label.

"That's because it is just sauce," he replied, trying, and failing, not to grin. "Buffalo. Medium heat."

"Medium," she repeated, narrowing her eyes. "You said that like it's supposed to mean something."

"It means you'll survive."

"That's not as comforting as you seem to think it is."

Anna and Scott had wandered around for a bit after leaving the arcade, still talking and getting to know each other. The lunchtime smells of a sports bar, famous for its chicken wings, hit them as they walked, and they shared a look. Without a word of discussion, they entered the bar.

Anna had been content to order something safe, like a cheeseburger, but after some convincing, Scott had talked her into leaving her comfort zone.

Anna had been raised in a small town in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma. Ketchup and barbecue sauce were the spiciest sauces she had ever had on food.

Scott leaned back in his chair, watching her with the kind of patience usually reserved for waiting for a movie in the theater to start. "It's just medium-hot buffalo sauce. You're building this up way too much in your head."

"I really don't think I am. You said it might hurt."

"Exactly. I said might. And even then, it's not that bad."

She glanced back down at the wing, then at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"A little," he admitted. "But only because I know what's coming."

"Yeah, pain."

"No, actual flavor."

She hesitated, bringing the wing a little closer to her mouth, then pulling it back again. "I don't understand why anyone would willingly do this."

"Because once you get past the initial heat, it's actually really good."

She let out a slow breath, as if bracing herself. "Okay... But if I cry, that's on you."

"I'll take the blame. It can be a story you tell our kids..."

He froze in shock and disbelief at what had just come out of his mouth.

"I mean a story I can tell my kids and a story you can tell your kids. Separate kids. Or the same kids. Or no kids at all. Friends, family... random people on the bus. Anyone you think needs to know I talked you into this."

She was tearing up with laughter. "Wow, so that's what you sound like when you panic."

He was blushing so furiously that his face was the same shade of red as a newly ripened tomato.

"And what if I hate it?" She asked, granting him mercy and changing the subject.

"You won't."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I kinda do," he said simply. "You're pretty strong."

In that moment, she knew if she chickened out, she would feel like she was letting him down.

"Fine," she said at last. "I'm starting small, though."

She took a cautious bite, barely more than a nibble, her lips closing around the edge of the wing before she quickly pulled back with a small chunk of meat.

For a moment, nothing happened. She chewed slowly, letting the flavor take hold.

"Well?"

"It's... actually not bad."

"Not bad?"

"I mean, it's good. Tangy. Kind of smoky. I don't get the hype."

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Another second passed, and then she felt it.

"Oh," she said.

"There it is."

Her eyes widened as the heat began to bloom, subtle at first, then spreading. "That's... okay, that's weird."

"Weird?"

"It's like it waited," she said, fanning her mouth slightly with her hand. "Why would it wait?"

"To lull you into a false sense of security."

"That's evil."

He laughed. "You're doing fine."

"I'm not doing fine," she insisted, though there was a hint of laughter creeping into her voice now. "It's getting hotter."

"Take another bite."

She stared at him as if he'd just suggested she take a bite out of her own arm. "Why would I do that?"

"Because that's how it works. You don't just stop at one bite."

She hesitated again, then, perhaps because of peer pressure more than anything else, took a slightly bigger bite.

This time, she didn't look nearly as confident afterward.

"Still alive?"

"Barely." She grabbed her drink and took a long sip, sighing as the coolness hit. "Okay, that helps."

"Temporarily."

She shot him a look. "You're not helping."

"I'm helping you expand your horizons."

"My horizons were plenty expanded before."

"In a culinary sense, you're the weird, homeschooled kid."

She shook her head, but she was smiling now, the initial fear replaced by relief that it wasn't actually as bad as she thought.

"I can't believe people eat these for fun."

"Except," he said, gesturing toward the wing in her hand, "here you are."

She looked down at it, then back at him. "I haven't decided if this is fun yet."

"Give it time."

He turned to his own wings. He had asked for most of his wings to be "ultra-hot" and one to be "hot AF." The waitress had brought two plates. One plate with wings that were an angry red color and a small plate with a single wing covered in a benign-looking yellow sauce. That plate had come with a waiver he had to sign before the waitress left the table.

"You said this was medium. So that's like level five?"

"More like a level three or four."

"And yours are..."

He gestured to the angry red wings, "level ten," and then to the yellow wing, "eleven."

"Dear god..."

"I know, right?" he replied, looking excited. He had completely missed the horrified look on her face.

He started with the single wing, holding it with the reverence of a holy artefact as he smelled it. His eyes rolled up, and his lids fluttered, clearly enjoying the aroma. Anna couldn't look away.

He took a large bite, taking nearly all the meat on the wing, and sat calmly chewing.

"Oh, that's nice." He was commenting on it as if he were enjoying it, but his face was turning pink, and sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead.

Anna pushed the ice water closer to him. He looked at her with a touched expression of affection.

"Aw, you're worried about me." The water remained untouched.

"How are you even coherent right now? I'd be on my way to the ER."

"It started as a bravado thing. My college buddies and I would go out and eat progressively hotter things. I discovered pretty quickly that I had a high tolerance for spice," he explained. "Don't get me wrong, it still hurts, but after a while I started to enjoy it, especially if it had a good flavor on top of the heat."

"And this?" she asked, gesturing to the wing in his hand.

"Just the right amount of sweet and savory mixed with Carolina Reaper peppers."

"Do you recommend it?"

"Not for you. And not just because I don't want to share." He grinned. "This is not meant for mere mortals."

She reached over to his plate and wiped away a small amount of the sauce left behind by the wing. She smelled it. The aroma was surprisingly enticing.

"I know what you're thinking. Not a good idea."

She looked at her finger and then slid both of the water glasses closer to her. Without another word, she licked the sauce from her fingertip.

The reaction was immediate. There was no slow build or deceptive pause this time.

Her eyes went wide, and she froze mid-breath, like her body had forgotten how to function.

"Oh..." she started.

Then stopped.

Scott was already watching her, a knowing look creeping across his face. "You did not just do that."

She held up a finger, silently demanding a moment.

"Oh, my GOD!" she shouted. "Help!"

He burst out laughing.

She grabbed the nearest glass, which had been his, and took a desperate gulp, then another, and another.

"It's worse, isn't it?" he asked, barely containing his amusement.

She slammed the glass down, blinking rapidly. "Why is it everywhere?"

"Because it's not just peppers. It's the oil from the peppers. It spreads."

"This is a crime. You're a criminal," she said hoarsely, fanning her mouth harder now. "You shouldn't be allowed to eat that in public."

"You strayed into my territory..."

"I dipped a finger," she shot back. "A literal finger, Scott."

"And I applaud your bravery, but I tried to put you on a bike with training wheels, and you decided to jump in the Formula 1 racecar."

She grabbed her own drink this time, alternating between the two like she was putting out a fire, which, in a sense, she was.

"Still getting worse."

"Yeah, this one hits hard."

"Ya think?" she said shrilly. "You're sweating like you just ran a marathon, and you eat this kind of stuff on purpose."

He wiped his forehead with a napkin, grinning. "Ah, but it's so worth it."

She stared at him, then let out a disbelieving laugh. "You're insane."

"Probably."

Another few seconds passed, and then, very slowly, the intensity began to plateau.

She exhaled, long and shaky. "Okay... okay, I think it's leveling off."

"See? Surviving."

"I'm never trusting you again."

"That's not true."

"...it's not," she admitted. "But I shouldn't."

He laughed again.

She leaned back in her chair, pressing the cool glass against her lips without drinking, just enjoying the contrast. "That was a terrible idea."

He tilted his head. "You don't look like you regret it entirely."

"...I hate that you're right," she said finally.

Anna looked down at her plate, at the half-eaten wing she'd been so afraid of just minutes ago, and picked it back up.

"Going back in?" Scott said, surprised.

She gave a small shrug. "I mean... compared to what I just did, this is basically ketchup."

"That's one way to look at it."

She took a bite, larger this time and more confident. The heat hit, but it was manageable now, even enjoyable.

"Oh wow," she said after swallowing. "That's... yeah. That's not bad at all anymore."

"Congratulations," he said. "You've recalibrated your entire sense of spice."

"With intense pain," she added.

He said nothing and just smirked.

"...okay," she admitted after a moment. "I kind of get it now. The whole... 'it's spicy, but it's good anyway' thing."

He nodded. "I told you so."

And then, without hesitation this time, she went back for another bite.

They finished their meal, or as Anna was referring to it, 'the battle with the balrog,' and stepped back out into the world. They were within walking distance of a shopping center and decided it was worth a look. There was no real purpose to their movement; just a casual stroll, walking hand in hand, while they got to know each other better.

He was extremely easy to talk to, and that made her think of something that worried her.

"You got quiet all of a sudden," Scott piped up. "Penny for your thoughts."

She chewed on her tongue, debating whether or not to be honest.

"Things are so easy when I'm with you. I was thinking maybe I should have just asked you out like a normal person."

He considered her words for a second before answering.

"No, I think you did the right thing."

"I'll bet you do," she interrupted, smirking and nudging him with her shoulder.

"It's hard to argue with your results. It only takes a few moments to find out if you mesh with someone, you know, on that level--"

"Or in our case, twelve hours across multiple hotel rooms," she corrected.

"My point is we got the easy stuff out of the way. Now we can take our time with the other stuff. Although..."

She stopped. "Although, what?"

"I kind of learned the most important thing about you last night."

"Like what?"

"You are incredibly brave," he replied. "What you did was completely insane and could have blown up in a bad way. You liked me enough to try to make something happen."

He paused for a bit before saying, "I don't think I could have done that if I were in your shoes. For starters, I wouldn't have looked nearly as good in the sexy underwear."

She laughed as she hugged herself to his arm. They began walking again.

"By no means is it a deal breaker," he prefaced, clearly choosing his words carefully, "but that underwear wasn't a one-time thing, was it?"

"You liked it that much, did you?" She smirked as she gazed up into his eyes.

"If you were a guy seeing a woman like you like that, you would understand. Now answer the question, woman!" He said in mock outrage.

"That particular underwear was a one-time thing," she said. "As good as it looked, wearing it felt like I was wearing the rough side of a sponge. But I am open to something just as sexy but more comfortable."

After a moment, they slowed, and she sat on the edge of a nearby fountain.

"Alright," she said. "We've done food, games, fulfilled the legal requirements for misdemeanor public indecency and lewd conduct, and a healthy dollop of emotional honesty."

He sat too. "That's a full day."

"It's not even 3 p.m."

He blinked. "Oh."

"So the question is..." She grinned as she scooted closer, looking up into his eyes. "...what's next?"

He looked back at her, that same slow smile forming again.

"Well," he said, "we could keep being responsible..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"...or," he added, "we could go back to the hotel and be irresponsible."

She pretended to consider it for about half a second. "We do one more semi-normal thing... a little shopping trip..."

"And then?"

"And then we stop pretending we have self-control."

He nodded. "That sounds like a solid plan."

She reached for his hand again.

"Good," she said. "Because I'm not very good at the self-control part."

"I've noticed."

She gave him a lecherous grin and then pulled him from the fountain edge. "Come on."

She half dragged him back in the direction of one of the shops. When he realized where they were going, she saw a grin form on his face.

"What color do you like seeing me in?"

"Green," he replied without hesitation. "With your hair and eyes, it looks amazing."

"You have to wait out here."

"Why?"

"I think you know why," she said as she turned toward the lingerie shop. "I think we've proven I can't keep my hands off you, and I'd rather not get arrested on our first date."

She already had some idea of what she wanted, but still grabbed a few options in varying shades of green. She tried them on, sending him previews that she censored with hearts over the important bits.

'Which one?' she texted.

He sent back a drooling emoji with a message that said, 'Option 2!'

She paid and then went straight back to the changing room.

Within twenty minutes of going into the store, she was on her way out with a conspiratorial grin on her face. He glanced at the bag in her hand.

"Can I see?"

"You've already seen these," she replied, indicating the bag.

"But what..." he started with confusion before an expression of dawning comprehension came over him. "Oh..."

Without another word between the two of them, they began to hurry back in the direction of the hotel.

As they crossed the lobby and waited on the elevator to make its way down to them, Scott spoke, "Full disclosure: last night, I spotted you hiding behind that fern."

"Saw that, huh?" She smiled as she looked away.

"I gotta ask, what was the plan?"

"We might have to use the term 'plan' loosely."

"How much of a 'plan' was there?"

"There were many... 'avenues of attack' that were considered," she said, glancing at him with a mischievous smile. "But let's just say there was a version of events where that elevator didn't make it past the first floor."

Scott let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

"Oh, it gets worse," she added. "Or better, depending on your perspective."

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. They stepped inside, standing closer than necessary.

"I was going to trap you in here," she admitted. "Not, like, in a creepy way. More like... impulsive and porn-like."

"Let me guess. Emergency stop button?"

She nodded.

"You've never pressed one before, have you?"

"No."

"Well then, I'm glad you didn't. A very loud alarm goes off when you do that. It might've killed the mood, and if you're anything like me, you would've been too embarrassed to do anything after that."

She hadn't considered that. Now she found herself being grateful she had been too scared to act on the impulse.

"So," he said after a moment, softer now. "What was the actual plan, then? After the elevator fantasy?"

She exhaled through her nose, half amused, half embarrassed. "Honestly? I didn't think that far ahead."

"That's bold."

"I was operating on adrenaline and a lot of pent-up, uh, let's call it 'energy,'" she admitted. "First,do something insane and then hope for the best."

"And then?"

She looked at him. "End up with the best."

He didn't say anything right away. Instead, he reached over and took her hand again, threading his fingers through hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your planless plan worked perfectly."

She swallowed, nodding slightly, and feeling butterflies in her stomach again.

The elevator slowed, then stopped. The doors slid open to their floor.

For a second, neither of them moved. Then he tugged gently on her hand.

"Now that you are a little more comfortable and braver, do you want to show me how the plan was supposed to go last night?"

She paused for a second longer and then slipped into the role. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

He smiled, picking up on the scenario. "Honestly, with all the meetings that we went through today, I plan on just decompressing in my room."

She broke character as they exited the elevator. "I can't believe you didn't ask me out when I said I didn't have plans."

"I blame it on a low perception score and, of course, you are intimidatingly gorgeous."

"Says the guy whose voice seems to go straight to my nethers."

He gave a deep chuckle.

"So this is my room," he said as he opened the door. "Have a good weekend."

He slowly turned toward the open door, smiling as he went. Within a split second, she was pushing him roughly through the doorway.

"Oh, what a strange turn of events," he called sarcastically as she closed the door behind them.

He turned to look at her, and the smile on his face faded. She knew it was because of the way she was looking at him, like she was a predator and he was prey.

Anna took a small, almost shy step forward. It was different from before. No rushing. No frantic energy. Just quiet, uninterrupted eye contact. Scott's smile had completely vanished, and it seemed like he had stopped breathing.

She reached up, resting her hands lightly against his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her palms.

"Scott, I need to tell you something," she said as she traced circles on his chest while looking up into his eyes. "I like you a lot. You are handsome, kind, funny, smart, and modest. And when you speak, your voice does things to me on a carnal level."

She trailed a finger from her chin, slowly down her neck, pulling down on the collar of her shirt a little and then across her chest. She could feel her nipples harden and knew that their outline was probably visible through the fabric.

"I really want to take this shirt off," she said, slowly pulling up on the bottom edge. "Would you like that?"

She couldn't tell if he was acting or if he was genuinely engrossed in her performance, but he was looking at her like it was his first time with her. He was breathing heavily and didn't answer her right away.

After a few moments of watching her chest move with her breathing and the unfiltered lust in her eyes, he nodded and said in a breathy whisper, "Y-yes."

She felt an empowering thrill she hadn't felt last night. She wasn't just confident; she was in control. He was watching her every movement as though hypnotized.

She slowly pulled her shirt off, revealing the dark green, sheer fabric of her lace bodysuit. The deep V-cut of the teddy traced the inner swell of her breast and revealed her flat stomach and navel in a small window of uncovered flesh. The rest was still hidden by the skirt she wore.

She felt his chest again, his heart pounding against her hand as she began to play with her nipple.

"I'd like to take this skirt off too," she said in a breathy whisper, "to show you the rest of the outfit I wore just for you. Would you like that?"

He nodded again. She gave him a knowing grin and slipped the skirt down over her hips. It fell, revealing a sheer babydoll chemise and a barely-there thong beneath.

As he took off his shirt, she undid his belt. She didn't have to ask if he liked what he saw as his eyes devoured her; she could already see his reaction beginning to push on the inside of his pants.

She slowly felt his erection through his pants as the other hand undid the fastener.

"I want you," she said as his pants dropped. "I want to ride your dick until you come deep inside me."

She pulled him over to the bed and pushed him down onto the mattress. He went easily, lying down on his back as she pulled his boxer briefs down his firm legs.

His dick sprang free, already at full length. He moaned softly as she caressed the skin, tracing a finger over the throbbing veins.

"This is a perfect dick."

He began to chuckle, but it transformed into another moan when she ran her tongue along the underside.

"Look at me," she commanded.

His eyes met hers, and there was a sort of pleading in his gaze.

"Would you like to fuck my tiny pussy with your perfect dick?"

He nodded and groaned as she began to swirl her tongue around the head.

"I need to hear you say it. Say it in that sexy, deep voice of yours. Say my name and tell me how bad you want me."

"A-anna... fuuuck..." He groaned again as she took him fully into her mouth. "Anna, stop teasing me."

"You wanted to know what it would be like if I had actually seduced you." She began to run her hand, slick with saliva and precum, up and down the shaft. "You brought this on yourself. Now, say it."

She felt his dick twitch strongly in her hand, nearly slipping from her grasp. He was getting more turned on by the second.

"Anna," he said in a resonant voice that seemed to shake the air around them. "I need you. I want to be inside you while I worship your body. I want to make you come harder than you ever have before."

His cock left her mouth as she crawled slowly over him, running her tongue up his body as she moved.

They kissed with intense need. Their tongues fought and explored each other's mouths like they were about to melt into each other.

Her hand slipped down, moving her g-string to the side and lining him up with her entrance. She slowly sat down, sighing with contentment as he filled her.

She broke the kiss and sat up, slowly grinding on his dick, moaning as the sensations hit. Her hands came up to her head, holding her long auburn hair up and off her neck.

His hands started on her small waist, gently sliding up to smooth fabric on her chest. He pulled it aside, exposing her hard nipples. He sat up, arms encircling her, and began to massage her back. His mouth found her nipples, gently sucking them while flicking them with the tip of his tongue.

The sensation was electric. She felt her muscles begin to twitch around his member. She began to grind faster.

Their hands explored each other's bodies, caressing, massaging. Scott was moaning into her neck as he kissed the skin and gently nibbled the flesh. They were becoming slick with sweat as their movements became quicker and more passionate.

His hands came down, each grabbing an ass cheek firmly, and he began to help her grind on him. He was matching her rhythm until they fell in sync, moaning together as their orgasms built. His cock seemed to be hitting every pleasure spot inside her simultaneously.

"Oh, GOD, Scott! Fuck me!" She began to whimper as his strong hands completely took over. She was no longer an active participant; she was at his mercy.

"I'm gonna..." *pant* "Don't stop..." *pant* "Gonna... gonna--"

It started small, slowly building at first and then exponentially. She threw her head back in a long moan.

"Yes! Right there!"

Scott's arms grabbed behind her as he fell back on the bed, taking her with him. He held her tightly as he began pounding into her without mercy.

"Oh, GOD! Fuck!" Her arms failed as every muscle in her body seemed to convulse. "FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!"

She thought he was never going to stop until suddenly he growled in her ear. She felt twitching inside her and felt warmth. That seemed to make her long orgasm last for a few more seconds.

He slowed to a stop and released her. She collapsed onto his chest, listening to the beating of his heart.

She was completely unable to move, even if she wanted to. Her hair was matted to her face with sweat, but he slowly ran his fingers through her hair, pulling it back. She wanted to lift her head to look at him, but couldn't.

"You okay?" he asked with a short laugh.

"How was that more intense than before?"

"That's what you get when you seduce me."

"You know," she said softly, "for someone who admits to overanalyzing everything..."

"Yeah?"

"You seem surprisingly okay, not overthinking this."

He smiled, just a little. "Yup."

She leaned carefully up to his head. She wasn't ready for his cock to leave her just yet. She kissed him.

His hands found her waist as hers slid up to the back of his neck, and for a while, the world narrowed down to just that point of contact between them.

When they finally pulled apart, she rested her head on his chest, feeling his cock slowly soften inside her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Anna let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah... we're definitely not going to be leaving this room for the rest of the day."

"Nope," he agreed.

Then she added, with a glint of excitement returning to her eyes, "but later? We're ordering real food."

He laughed softly. "Deal."

She continued, "And definitely something less dangerous than your chicken wings."

"No promises."

She groaned. "I knew that was coming."

"Do you think if we called for room service, they would make us some Nookies?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

They made love several more times that night, falling asleep in each other's arms.