“Okay, let’s see what you can do with your balls.”
The naughty double-entendre hit its mark as the similarly named portion of his anatomy tightened. He ground his back teeth and ignored the sassy look she shot him as she chalked the tip of her cue stick.
Talk about trouble with a capital T.
Ignoring the electric energy zipping along his nerves, he lined up his shot. “Nine ball in the corner pocket.” He sent the yellow striped ball rolling neatly into the called pocket. He shot three more and then missed.
Chloe bent to take her shot. He bit back a groan as once again his hands twitched with the desire to shape her derriere in them. So much for a game of pool taking his mind off of illicit territory. He yanked his gaze from temptation and focused on the layout of the table.
This time she only sank one ball before missing.
They traded shots until only Chloe’s blue two-ball and the eight-ball remained.
“I’ll take a lite beer after I sink this,” Jason said.
“Don’t count your chickens, Williams.”
He strode around the table, eyeing the angles. “Eight-ball, side pocket.” He pointed with his stick.
He lined up the shot and eased the cue back. Just as he nudged it forward to tap the white ball, he glanced toward the pocket. At the same time, Chloe rested her hands on the table and leaned in. Her shirt gaped away from her body, giving him a glimpse of creamy mounds of flesh above a lacy bra. His aim went wide as his brain shut off and all of his blood surged south.
The white nicked the opposite side of the eight and sent it spinning into the corner pocket. “Shit.”
Chloe grinned.
Yep. T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
One, because he hadn’t been lying earlier when he told her he’d never had a one-night stand. And he wasn’t about to start with his best friend’s baby sister. Second, and more importantly, even his body’s instinctual reaction to her sexy flirting couldn’t make him forget the flash of vulnerability in her eyes earlier. Would she ever tell him why she was so insistent on going through with her crazy plan? There was more to it than bragging rights with girlfriends.
If she told him, would it explain why she played the vamp and tease to hide that vulnerability?
Chapter Four
Another Friday. Another non-date. And still no sex.
Chloe studied Jason as she sipped her margarita. The cold slushy drink pooled in her stomach and sent a kick to her senses. The vintage Blackhawks T-shirt stretched across his chest called attention to the wide shoulders beneath.
“You played hockey in high school, right?”
“Yep. College too. ‘Thank God there’s still a sport for middle-sized white boys.’”
“Youngblood.”
Jason lifted his beer bottle in a toast. “Point for you.”
“So, any Ms. McGill experiences for you?”
He laughed. “Nope.”
She tilted her head to the side, then leaned in closer to ensure the other diners wouldn’t overhear. “How old were you the first time you had sex?”
The bottle in his hand stopped halfway to his mouth, but he took a healthy swig before answering. “What? You mean all the research you did about me didn’t provide that information?”
She shook her head, peering up through her lashes as she took another pull on the straw.
Instead of answering, his gaze lingered on her mouth. A tiny hitch shortened her breath. Then he blinked and met her stare. “I was in high school. We were both in high school.”
“So you did it with Kristin Porcher?”
He frowned. “How do you know that?”
“She was your girlfriend junior and senior year, right?
“How do you remember that? You weren’t even in high school then.”
She shrugged. “I was a freshman when you were a senior. And besides, you brought her to our house a lot. Danny was dating Martha Hoffman. The four of you used to hang out.”
“Wow. You have a good memory.”
She raised her glass in a toast. “I haven’t killed off all my brain cells yet.” She licked some of the salt from the rim before putting it down. “So, what was it like? Was it her first time too?”
He shifted in his chair. “Isn’t that kind of a personal question?”
“Why? Are you embarrassed?”
“No.” He sighed. “Yes, it was her first time, too.”
“How did you know what to do?”
“What?”
“Well, I mean, if you were both new at it, wasn’t it kind of…” She dropped her gaze to the table. “…awkward?” She glanced up, then down again. “Were you nervous?”
Jason didn’t answer for the space of several heartbeats. “I guess I was a little nervous, but it’s not like I had planned out the entire experience.” He shot her a pointed look. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was an eighteen-year-old male. Of course I thought about it all the time. But one night it just happened. Because it felt right. Yes, it was a little awkward and scary. But it was exciting, too.” He took another sip of beer. “There’s nothing like that first time feeling. It’s something you never forget.”
Invisible tendrils grabbed her heart and squeezed, like a kudzu vine choking the life out of everything around it. The ache spread through her. She’d never forget her first time either, but not in that way. The underlying emotion in his voice was unfamiliar. Hers hadn’t been magical or wonderful. Far from it.
She traced a pattern in the condensation on her glass with her finger so she didn’t have to meet his eyes. “My first time was in college.”
“Nothing wrong with waiting. There’s no schedule to follow.” Was that a hint of a reprimand in his voice? “When it’s the right person, you know it.”
She grimaced. “Oh, it definitely wasn’t the right person. Maybe not even the right time.”
His gaze narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“What you just described. It wasn’t like that for me. My first time wasn’t with someone I loved. It wasn’t someone special.” She fought to steady the quaver in her voice.
“Chloe?” He covered her hand with his. “We don’t have to talk about this.”
She raised her chin. “I want to. I know you want to know why I have this plan. Maybe this will help you understand.”
He nodded and squeezed her fingers. “Okay. Tell me about it.”
“I had a crush on one of the football players. More than a crush. I was a little obsessed. I cut his pictures and articles out of the local newspapers and pasted them on my dorm room walls. I planned my workouts at the gym to coincide with football practice. I even drove by his frat house at night sometimes. Kind of stalkerish, huh?”
To Jason’s credit, he didn’t comment.
“Anyway, we were out at a bar one night. The local place close to campus where everyone hung out. Keith showed up. I was pretty tipsy at this point, and without any inhibitions it was easy to talk to him. My roommate was in a study group with one of the other football players, and the four of us wound up at this guy’s house. She and this other guy disappeared upstairs, which left Keith and me alone downstairs. We started making out.
“I was in heaven. It was like a dream come true. And then one thing led to another and we…we were doing it. I was either too drunk or too elated I was finally with Keith to stop and think.”
Jason tensed, but again didn’t comment.
Even now, her face flamed with the memory. How many times over the years had she wished to go back in time and get that moment back? To erase it. To have a first time again. A first time like the one Jason described. With someone she loved.
“As you can imagine, things didn’t go well at all. He never tried to make it…good…just kind of went in and did his thing.” She wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs.
Jason winced. The pained expression remained to shadow his eyes.
“Or, at least tried to do his thing. He was pretty drunk, too. So he just kind of stopped and rolled away
. And that was the end of it.” Her hand trembled as she took a sip of her drink. “Needless to say I took down all of the pictures and articles. If we happened to run into each other on campus or at the bar, we just ignored each other. Pretended like we didn’t know each other. Pretended like that night never happened.” Of course, that was easier said than done. Mistakes like that had a way of taking root and festering instead of fading.
“Oh, Chloe, I’m so sorry. I wish…” He stopped and squeezed her fingers again.
“My second time wasn’t much better.” Now that she’d started, the words continued to flow as she purged her soul and confessed her shameful secrets. She’d never told anyone before. “There was this really cute guy hired as one of the summer landscapers at the first company I worked for. We’d chat and flirt, and I was so excited when he finally asked me out. After the date, we wound up back at his place, and again, me with no brain, let myself get carried away even though I wasn’t feeling anything.”
“Why do you think that was?” Jason asked, softly.
She frowned. “Why wasn’t I feeling anything?”
“No, obviously this guy wasn’t the right guy either. Especially after one date. What I meant was, why do you think you kept letting yourself get carried away?”
She concentrated on the strip of napkin she was tearing before answering. “I’m not sure. I think it was because I knew all my friends were out there doing it, and I thought I should be too.”
Jason closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he looked anguished. “Do you know how irrational that is? What does it matter if everyone else is doing it? It has to be right for you. With someone you trust.” His eyes turned to flint. “Do you know how badly I want to hunt those guys down and beat the shit out of them for taking advantage of you?”
She smiled despite the knot in her stomach. His indignation touched her. Which is exactly why she’d chosen him for her plan. He wouldn’t hurt her. Or take advantage. “Thanks.”
He didn’t return the smile. “I’m dead serious.”
“I know you are. And it means the world to me.” She sat back in the booth. “So do you understand why I want to have a good experience?”
“I’m sure it wasn’t always that bad.”
“Always? I didn’t bother trying again after that.”
His eyes widened. “Wait. Are you telling me those are the only two times you’ve ever had sex?”
“Yep.”
His mouth opened. Closed. He swallowed. Finally he asked, “What about Brad?”
A warm tingle of remembrance, like the sun peeking through on a cloudy day, shot through her. “You remember Brad?”
“Like you said, I was at your house a lot.” He leaned forward and rested his folded arms on the table. “You never slept with him? You two dated for a while. Wasn’t it that serious?”
“I guess it was. He was one of my favorite boyfriends.” Not like she had many to choose from. “I always kind of wished I had slept with him. I’m pretty sure I loved him. He would have been a good choice.” Her first love. Her first good lover. But it never happened.
“I don’t want to make a mistake again.”
“So that’s why you came up with your plan?”
“Yep. I wanted to make sure I’d thought it through and didn’t just jump into something I’d regret. Been there, done that.”
She took a deep breath. The relief from her emotional catharsis left her shaky. What did Jason think of her now? Would he be more inclined to help with her plan, or less since she’d revealed what an emotional mess she was? Not able to face the pity he must be feeling, Chloe slid out of the booth. “I’ll get us another round.”
****
Jason’s fingers curled into fists. He really did want to punch the guys who had taken advantage of Chloe. He really did understand why she’d come up with the plan. Underneath her bravado and liaise faire attitude, she was as vulnerable as a virginal teenager.
Which meant he also understood why it was more important than ever to stop her from going through with it. If he had sex with her as part of her crazy scheme, he’d be taking advantage just like the other assholes. And there was no way in hell he wanted to be classified in a category with them.
****
Chloe dug her fingers into the rich, loam soil. With practiced precision, she transferred the seedlings into perfectly spaced rows. The familiar task was soothing. Unfortunately, it was also second-nature and only kept her hands occupied. Which allowed her mind to drift.
As it usually did these days, her thoughts lingered on Jason. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. How he threw back his head to laugh when something amused him. Not holding anything back, just letting his joy of the moment break free.
Why did she get the feeling he was holding out on her?
Their conversation the other night had brought old hurts and humiliations to the surface. What had he really thought about her confession? Her stupidity.
As she covered each seedling with its empty inverted container so later when she laid the mulch it wouldn’t crush the fragile new plants, she wished there was a way to cover her fragile heart and protect it as easily.
Protecting her heart was why she’d told Jason, and herself, countless times she didn’t want any emotion involved with her one great night. So she’d carefully planned out the whole thing this time. She wanted to think with her head, not her heart. But the more time she spent with Jason, the blurrier the distinction became.
She’d chosen him because she trusted him. And she’d done her research. Using her head. Thinking things through logically. But she hadn’t counted on having so much fun with him. Hadn’t counted on his ‘lessons’, which were better than any real dates she’d ever been on.
She’d known him for practically her whole life. She just hadn’t known this side of him. Now she didn’t see her brother’s best friend. She saw a guy who was going to make some girl a fantastic boyfriend. And someday a kind, caring, and devoted husband.
A tiny green monster took a bite out of her heart. A strong hatred for the nameless, faceless girl who would one day become Jason’s wife filled her. She resolutely ignored both emotions and sat back on her heels to observe her handiwork.
The hearty begonias lining the brick patio would quickly fill in to make a lush border. The arbor jutting from the house would provide shade for the cedar dining table. Off the left side of the patio a small pond burbled. A fountain sent a spray of water into the air. A gravel path led to the perennial garden with its brilliant phlox, lilies, and zinnias along the back of the property. A small wooden bridge spanned a dry bed of larger rocks, surrounded by tall, ornamental Bluestem.
Her heart swelled with pride. After college she’d spent a year working for a landscape company, but her dream had always been to branch out on her own. Slowly but surely she’d grown her dream into a successful business. After three years of building cliental and watching every nickel and dime, they were finally operating firmly in the black.
She was good at managing a business. Too bad she wasn’t nearly as good at managing her love life. Which was why her night with Jason wasn’t supposed to be about love or feelings or emotions. Just sex.
Even thinking about having sex with him had her heart thumping and her pulse racing. She craved the feel of his lips on hers again. She wanted to know what they would feel like on the rest of her body. His kisses were hot. Carnal. She wanted to know what the rest of him tasted like. What his body would feel like bare against hers. Skin to skin. What would he feel like inside her?
That was the plan. And it was all about sex. Nothing else. Period.
Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. She jabbed the small trowel into the ground to punctuate each word. “Sex.”
“Did you say something?” Kelly, one of her assistants asked.
Oops. Chloe’s face flamed hotter than the noon-day sun beating down. “I said ‘next’. We’re ready for the next step.”
She was ready for the next step
with Jason, too. His lessons were all fine and good, but she wanted more. She was more than ready for her one great night.
She ignored the tiny voice in the back of her head asking if one night with Jason would be enough.
****
The next day after work Chloe opened the door to reveal Jason’s smiling face. He looked fresh and crisp in a light blue polo and khaki shorts. She, on the other hand, looked, and probably smelled, like she’d spent a long, hot day digging in the dirt under the sun.
Crap.
She smoothed a strand of escapee hair behind her ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Are you busy? Am I interrupting something?”
“I was just going to jump in the shower.” True that. “Want to join me?”
Although his eyes darkened, he chuckled. “As tempting as that sounds, I actually have something else in mind for this afternoon.”
Was he really tempted? “Something else? If we’re going somewhere, I really need to clean up.”
“We’re going for a ride.” His eyes twinkled.
“Where?”
“Wherever you want to go.” His demeanor was like that of a kid in a candy store.
“O-kay.”
“No shower necessary, but if you really want to, I’m in no rush.” He brushed a kiss across her brow. The spicy scent of his aftershave washed over her.
Not only did it bring sexy fantasies to mind, it called more attention to her less than flattering odiferous condition. “I really want to.”
“Mind if I turn on the TV while I wait?”
“Make yourself at home.”
She grabbed clean clothes from the bedroom. In the bathroom, she locked the door. She hesitated before yanking the shirt over her head. Being naked with Jason right on the other side of a thin panel of wood was…odd. Which was crazy. She wanted to sleep with him. They’d definitely have to get naked for that.
Under the warm spray of the shower, her nipples peaked as she imagined Jason’s hands rubbing soapy circles on her breasts instead of her own. Would his fingers drift lower? Would he touch her even more intimately?
One Great Night Page 4
