by Addison Cole
“Because I’m not a prude.”
“That’s a crappy thing to say. I’m not a prude. I’ve just never met anyone who I’d want to explore these kinds of things with. It takes trust and the right person.”
“Babe,” Vi said. “You are obviously an overthinker. Don’t you ever just let your body decide what you’ll do? Go with the moment?”
“Yes. I did that earlier, when I let Rick kiss me.” She winced inwardly at her confession. She’d wanted to shock Violet, but it felt funny saying it aloud.
“He kissed you?” Violet picked up a plastic box, looking over the funky objects inside. “You didn’t share that little piece of intel. How was it?”
A thrum of electricity darted through her. “You know that moment right before you kiss, when you can’t think and your whole body is buzzing with anticipation?”
“I usually fly right through that sucker to the good stuff, but sure.”
“My body’s still buzzing.” Desiree inhaled a lungful of courage, and her eyes moved over the table, taking it all in. “I would be too embarrassed to go into a store and buy these kinds of things.”
“Why, if they’re used for consensual, pleasurable sex? You’re not buying slaves.” Her sister picked up another box and read the side of it.
Desiree walked around the table, thinking about how limited her sexual experiences had been. “Sex is private.”
“Plenty of married couples use pleasure enhancers.” Violet put the box down and her gaze softened. “Please tell me you’re not a sex-with-the-lights-off-only girl.”
Desiree cringed. “Do candles count?”
“Okay, new plan. We’re working together until you’re so comfortable with these things, you can sell them to Rick’s grandmother.”
“That is never going to happen.” She waved her hands, walking backward. “I’m not even sure I can sell this stuff to you.”
“Give me the leash,” Violet said, and Desiree gave it to her. “Put your hands out.”
Desiree held out her hands. Violet turned them palms up and began piling on crotchless underwear, toys, and whatever else was unpackaged.
“What are you doing? Violet! Stop! Vi. Please. I’ll drop them. I swear I will.”
Violet laughed. “Perfect idea.” She grabbed Desiree’s arms and pulled them out to the side so the toys tumbled to the ground.
“No!”
Cosmos barked excitedly.
“Why did you do that?” Desiree stared at the toys at her feet.
“Okay, baby sister.” She crossed her arms. “Pick them up.”
“What? No. You made the mess.”
Violet pushed a few more off the table, hoisted herself up, and sat on the now-empty spot. “I’ll sit here until you do it. Pick the darn things up. Get used to holding them until you see them as nothing but pieces of rubber and plastic if you have to. Just do it. It’s time to break you out of this Little Miss Innocent act and grow some hair on your chest.”
Desiree laughed. “That’s disgusting. Who wants hair on their chest?”
“It’s just an expression. Trust me. You’ll feel a lot better about your sexuality once you can own it.” She slid off the table and picked up a man’s G-string, then handed it to Desiree. “Hold it.”
Desiree took it and looked away.
“Seriously? What are you afraid of? Is this how you’re going to act with Rick? Look away?”
“No! But it’s not like you’ll be there egging me on just so you can tease me about it later.” The room fell silent, and Desiree instantly regretted what she’d said. “I didn’t mean that.”
“I’m trying to help, not make fun of you.” Violet started picking up the toys.
“I can do it.”
They worked together restocking the table in uncomfortable silence. A while later, after they’d cleaned up and Cosmos had curled up by the door, Desiree promised herself she’d try harder not to snap or judge.
“I’m not a prude.” She looked out the window, which was easier than looking at Violet while she bared this piece of herself. “With the right guy I’d consider these things. I think. Maybe. And I talk about sex with Emery, but it’s harder with you. I don’t really know you.” She caught her reflection in the window and, over her shoulder, a reflection of the sister she longed to know.
More nervous than she could ever remember being, she faced Violet, and had a hard time reconciling her tentative expression with the headstrong woman she knew her to be. “But I want to. I want to be comfortable with all of this, and with us. With sharing parts of ourselves that we should have learned how to share years ago. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for me. I associate a lot of things with Lizza, like the ability to do things on a whim, and painting, and not returning messages, and it scares me. Or pisses me off. I’m never really sure which. I only know my skin crawls every time I do something she might do. I know that’s horrible and unfair, because you grew up with her and she’s your mother, too, but I can’t help it. Even the idea of not having a schedule feels like it’s like her to me, and—”
“I get it,” Violet said. “I totally get it.”
“You do?” Relief swept through her, and she wanted to keep the connection going, so she admitted, “And, embarrassingly, the guys I’ve been with have been less than thrilling. So when I hear other women talking about their escapades, I always feel a step behind. It’s not that I’m a prude, but I’m also not the kind of girl who would just whip out one of those and be like, ‘Hey, wanna play?’ I want to be that free. I know you could do it. Emery could do it. But not me. I’m just not wired that way.”
Violet smiled. “I get that, too. Certain guys make it harder to be that way. Some aren’t very adventurous, or they suck in bed, and others suck you right into their bed and you never want to leave.”
“Um…” Desiree wiggled her finger in the air. “I’ve never had that last kind of guy. I want to, but I can’t really wear a sign that says ‘I want a guy who’s good in bed. Only experienced men need apply.’”
They both laughed, and the tension in the room came down a notch.
“How does a person get comfortable with all this?”
“Alcohol,” Violet said emphatically. “Lots of it.”
“Really? I’m a total lightweight. Two glasses of wine and I’ll be doing things I shouldn’t.”
Violet headed for the door and Cosmos followed. “Three glasses it is.”
“Wait. Now?”
“No time like the present. According to Lizza’s sign, it seems like she didn’t work every day. Today will be our orientation day. I’ll grab some wine from the house, and we can close the doors so it’s just us, drink until you’re feeling really comfortable, and I’ll show you what this stuff is.”
“Sorry, Vi, but I am not going all girl-on-girl with you.”
“Please, Des. Really? I’m totally into men, and their big…trouser snakes. I meant I’d talk you through it. Help you understand what all these things are for, so by the time we leave this cottage you don’t feel two steps behind. No baby steps. We’re going to jump in with both feet.”
Feeling unusually sassy and excited at both the prospect of doing something like this with Violet and learning about all the naughtiness around her, she said, “What about you? You’re perfectly willing to put me in an uncomfortable position, even if it’ll help in the long run. Kind of one-sided, don’t you think?”
“So, you want to know my Achilles’ heel?”
“Yes! Do you have one?” Desiree couldn’t imagine it.
“Oh yeah, do I ever. Maybe I’ll tell you about it after I drink an ocean of wine and then some.”
RICK PACED HIS living room with his phone pressed to his ear, listening to his partners, Craig and Michael, argue. He checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. Rick had spent the past few months negotiating a six-million-dollar project to relocate two executives from the Austin area to DC. They were on the cusp of finalizing the contract, and
Craig had solidified a two-million-dollar project for next spring. Unfortunately, Michael had brought in only half a million dollars in the past nine months, and Craig was hammering him. He didn’t blame Craig for losing it, but he also felt bad for Michael. His wife had left him for another man, turning his and their two little boys’ lives upside down. But they’d been on the call for more than thirty minutes, and the closer it got to seven o’clock, the more his patience dwindled.
“Let’s all take a step back,” Rick said, interrupting. Normally he was the hothead, but he had a soft place in his heart for Michael, a childhood friend. He’d known Michael’s ex-wife since childhood, too. Michael and his wife had moved to DC to join Rick and Craig’s business. It was no secret that his ex-wife hated the area, and Rick wondered if she would have strayed had they remained in Hyannis.
“The bottom line is, we’re partners. We’re in this together. Michael, I know you’re struggling with the divorce and keeping up with your kids, but Craig’s right. You’ve got to get back in the game. And, Craig, if you or I were in his shoes, we’d expect to be cut some slack.”
He headed outside and climbed into his truck. “I’ve got to get off the phone, but let’s come up with a plan. Michael, sit down and figure out what new projects you can go after. Look at what’s on the horizon, possible clients you can tap into. Referral sources you can put some energy into. Give us a timeline for expectations.”
“It’s been nine months,” Craig pointed out.
Tell him something he didn’t know. Nine painful months of watching his buddy fall down the rabbit hole. The man he admired like a brother had gone from being one of the most confident and successful salesmen he knew to barely holding himself together. But Rick wasn’t about to give up on Michael, any more than he’d give up on Drake or Dean.
They made a plan to strategize next week. After he ended the call, Rick pulled out of his driveway and saw Drake walking toward the office. He rolled down his window and slowed to a crawl beside him. “Hey, bro. Thought you were going sailing?”
“We are. Serena had to run home to change.” Drake glanced in the truck, which Rick had cleaned out earlier. “Have a date?”
There was no stopping his grin. “I’m taking Desiree out.”
“The sweet girl next door?” Drake’s brows drew down in a serious slant.
“The one and only. Oh, and by the way, she’s literally staying next door in the old Summer House. Have fun tonight. I know I will.”
A few minutes later Rick pulled into Desiree’s driveway. Cosmos bolted out of a cottage, running toward the truck and barking up a storm. Rick pulled over and parked to avoid hitting him. He climbed from the truck and crouched, offering his hand.
“Hey, scruffy pool hopper.”
Cosmos yapped and sprinted back to the cottage. The door was open and the lights were on, and Desiree’s melodic laughter floated out from within. He pictured her eyes lighting up when she laughed, and couldn’t resist following the pup inside the eclectic shop to see what had him so hyped up. Paintings and pottery and other types of art covered every surface.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Desiree’s voice floated into the room, and he followed it to an open door in the back.
“This can’t be right. Are you sure?” Desiree stood with her back facing him, wearing the same sexy tank top and shorts she’d had on that morning, but now it was covered in a red lace and silk negligee. Violet stood in front of her, bent at the waist, her hands hidden from view by Desiree’s body.
While Desiree’s rear was as tempting and fine as he’d ever seen, it wasn’t enough to distract him from the multitude of colorful lingerie dangling from strings around the room, and the plethora of adult-play items on the tables and shelves, or the mess of both strewn across the floor. In the corner of the room, a mannequin lay cockeyed, an empty wine bottle nestled in the crook of its arm. The girls had been busy.
“Hey there,” he said with amusement.
Desiree spun around, eyes wide, mouth agape, wearing some sort of barely there negligee over her clothes, with leather laces up the center, and feathers where there should be fabric covering her breasts and at the juncture of her thighs.
“Rick,” she said breathily, dragging her eyes down his chest and swallowing hard. “Geez, you’re so flipping hot.”
“Own it,” Violet said, pointing up at the ceiling.
He arched a brow, having absolutely no idea what he’d walked in on, but… Sweet Desiree was definitely not as innocent as she appeared.
Desiree put a hand on her hip and thrust out her chest. Her hand slid off her hip, and she quickly put it back up again. Her eyes darkened as she sauntered over to him, full of wine-bravado—hips swaying seductively, eyes locked on his—and apparently completely oblivious to her outfit. Heck, the way she was moving, he’d almost forgotten about it. She rubbed her hands over his pecs and down toward his abs. “I have been dying to feel your muscles.”
“Be my guest, sweetheart.” He’d probably go straight to hell for not stopping her when she was clearly tipsy, but seeing his careful girl so uninhibited was a massive turn-on.
“Doesn’t he look hot, Vi?”
“Scorching.” Vi grabbed another wine bottle from a shelf and took a swig.
As her hands roamed over his chest, he felt guilty for enjoying every second of her feel-fest, and took her hands in his. “Sweetheart—”
“I really like when you call me that.” She leaned forward, and feathers brushed over his clothes. Her eyes dropped to the space between them, and she gasped, stumbling backward and sending Cosmos into a barking frenzy as he jumped and tried to bite the feathers.
“Ohmygosh. It’s not what it looks like!”
Cosmos ran circles around her, yapping.
“Yes, it is.” Violet nodded. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”
Desiree tried to peel off the lingerie, but it got stuck on her shoulders. “I swear it’s not. We were going to work, and then we talked, and then—” She tore the bottle from Violet’s hands and thrust it at Rick, looking guilty and crazy cute. “This happened, and…” Her eyes dropped to the lingerie. “Oh no! Then that happened. Just shoot me. Shoot. Pow. Bam.”
He reached for the bottle and set it on the table. “There will be no shooting. But, sweetheart, you look really cute.” He glanced at Violet, who was having way too much fun at her sister’s expense.
Desiree’s cheeks flamed. “Ohmygosh. I should never drink. We weren’t…It’s not…” She started yanking at the straps. “It’s stuck. I can’t”—tug, tug—“get it”—tug, tug—“off.”
Violet doubled over laughing. “I like you when you drink!”
“You’re a horrible influence.” Desiree glared at her, still struggling to get the leather laces untied and swaying unsteadily.
“True,” Violet said with an emphatic nod.
Rick framed Desiree’s face as he’d done earlier, gazing into her pleading eyes until she stopped struggling and focused on him. Like the dawn of a new day, the tension drained from her face. All the jokes and innuendos that were on the tip of his tongue slipped away, and his insides turned to mush. What was she doing to him?
“I’ve got it,” he assured her, and carefully untied the contraption, peeled it carefully from her clothing, and set it on the table, aware of Violet watching his every move. Without giving Desiree time to give in to the embarrassment playing over her features, he gathered her against him and said, “You’re incredibly sexy when you’re tipsy.”
That earned a sweet smile, but she quickly buried her face in his chest. “I’m so embarrassed.”
He was captivated by how quickly she went from being completely unguarded to genuinely vulnerable. “Why? Because you and your sister had a little fun in your toy shop?”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Violet chimed in, and bent down to pick up the pup. “Come on, Trouble. Let’s give these guys some privacy.” She blew Desiree a kiss and motioned with two fingers pointing
from her eyes to Rick’s, mouthing, I’m watching you.
He chuckled, but he liked Violet’s protective nature.
“It’s not our shop. It’s our mother’s.” Desiree winced. “That sounds so bad.” She lifted her eyes to the ceiling and laughed. “Welcome to my crazy summer life.”
“I think I’m going to like your crazy summer life.”
Chapter Five
DESIREE SURVEYED THE messy shop and the wine stains on her tank top. Reality sobered her up, but she was still light-headed. Unfortunately, she wasn’t so drunk that she didn’t realize how badly she’d made a fool of herself. She could hardly believe Rick was still looking at her like she was the most beautiful, interesting person he’d ever seen. Either she was totally misreading him, he was nuts, or this was by far the luckiest night of her life.
She was caught between wanting more of this free, light feeling, and being terrified by how quickly it felt like that freedom—not the alcohol—could become an addiction. She began straightening up to distract herself, and fell back on her safety net, defining who she had always been.
“I’m really not like this,” she assured Rick. She knelt to pick up the items on the floor, and realized Vi was right. Whether it was from the wine, the fact that she’d already stepped into Mortification Land and there was no further damage to be done, or because she and Vi had used the colorful pleasure rods as swords in a Battle of Shlongs, she no longer felt funny touching them. She realized Violet hadn’t told her what her Achilles’ heel was. She’d have to remember to ask her the next time…we drink together?
Rick crouched beside her and gathered a number of toys in his arms. He could hold a lot of them, and not once did his focus stray from Desiree. “This? As in someone who likes to cut loose every now and again?”
She shifted her eyes away and pushed to her feet, setting the toys on the table. “No, as in someone who wears slutty lingerie and drinks before a date. I haven’t showered, my shirt is stained…I’m sorry, Rick.”
