“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Talking to you. Making you feel better than special,” he reminded her.
“Go on, then.”
That was his Sydney. No nonsense with a little bit of wariness when she was put in an unfamiliar situation. His Sydney. His best friend.
“Are you sure about this, because I don’t want you to—”
“I’m sure,” she insisted.
The most ridiculous thought crossed his mind. “Are you a virgin?” he asked.
She choked out a no and looked away.
“It’s no big deal, but I hope to God that what you’ve done was good.”
Her baby blue eyes focused on his face. “Why?”
“One less thing for me to worry about.”
“It was okay,” she admitted.
He dipped his head, sliding the strap of her dress down with his teeth. “That’s a cryin’ shame.” The tops of her breasts rose and fell with each breath. “I’ll make it up to you.” He kissed each prefect swell, pushing her dress down until her breasts popped free. The sweetest pink nipples he’d ever seen puckered in the cool air.
A rosy blush began to travel up her chest and neck. He glanced at her face. A smile shy graced her lips. “They’re not very big.”
He cupped one small, perky breast. “These beauties are just right for me.” He wrapped his lips around one hard nipple and began to suck and lick. Her back arched off the bed. “Like that?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she moaned.
“I think you’ll like this, too.” Taking her nipple between his fingers, he rolled and pinched it, setting to work on the other one. Sydney moved restlessly against him, her hips undulating and brushing his erection.
Letting her nipple out of his mouth with a popping sound, he rolled her under him, settling between the cradle of her thighs. He was hard and aching as he pushed up the bottom of her dress to meet the top in the middle.
“Damn,” he muttered.
“What’s wrong?” She struggled against him, trying to sit up, but he calmed her with a kiss.
“Nothing’s wrong. You’re just the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen like this.” He rose up on his elbow and used his free hand to cup her. “Perfect little strip of hair. Won’t even be in my way when I lick you.”
“Please,” she moaned.
Leaning down slightly, he kissed each nipple. Her hips shot up, grinding into him and his hand.
Kissing his way down her body, he took time to nibble on her skin and tickle her sides. He knew she was ticklish, but to make her laugh with his tongue and teeth on her skin…it was an ego booster.
“Spread your thighs,” he ordered in a husky whisper.
After a moment or two of hesitation, Sydney’s legs fell open. He kissed her, starting at the top of her mound and working his way down, until he could part her with his thumbs. She was even prettier here, all glistening.
“That’s what a man likes to see. His woman wet for him.” He gave her a long leisurely, lick and she moaned. “You are so wet, baby. So. Damn. Wet.” Sliding his fingers inside of her, he bit his lip at the feel of her clenching him so tightly.
“Brody,” she pleaded.
He loved the sound of his name on her lips, especially with her like this. He circled her clit, teasing the plump flesh until she cried out again. Smiling, he sucked on it and she came off the bed, writhing against him. He worked his fingers in and out of her, keeping a rhythm counter to what his mouth was doing, not wanting to give her a chance to fight her orgasm.
He had to make her fall apart. He had to—
She half-screamed his name and gasped, “I’m coming.”
Her hips bucked against his mouth, but he refused to stop until she no longer moved against him. Catching her eye, he removed his fingers and licked each one.
Her lips parted in response. “That’s sexy,” she said softly.
“You’re sexy.”
“Don’t you get a turn?” she asked.
His erection strained against his zipper as he sat up. He pulled her to him, kissing her thoroughly. “I want a turn,” he said. “But, I don’t want you to think you owe me. Besides, I’ve wanted to do that for a long, long time.”
Her eyes widened at his confession. “You have?”
“I am a man, and while I try to be respectful,” He reached between them and pinched a nipple. She let out a little squeal. “I’ve been noticing you for a long time.”
“Is that why you agreed to help me?”
Before he could answer, his phone went off. “Son of a gun.” He gave her another kiss and set her away from him to put his shirt back on. “You know if I didn’t have to leave, I would stay. That we would finish this, right?”
Drawing the covers around her, she nodded. “I know what you do, Brody. I’ve heard the fire alert on your phone often enough to recognize it.”
He braced his hands on her bed, looming over her. “I won’t have off again until Sunday.”
She pouted. His Sydney actually pouted. And over him to boot. “What about my lessons?”
His phone went off again, reminding him to get his ass out of there. “I’ll see what I can do.” He didn’t care what he had to do to get some time to see her.
She reached out, hooking her finger through his belt, and brought him closer. “Next time, it’s your turn.”
Chapter Twelve
‡
Wednesday afternoon, Sydney was eating lunch with Lemon and Cherry when Kyle came by their table. He grinned from ear to ear as he handed her a small box. “I’ve been thinking about your ears.”
“My what?”
Cherry rolled her eyes. “How romantic.”
Winking, he pointed to the box. “Open it.”
She carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Nestled inside was a pair of sapphire earrings. They looked exactly like the ones she’d been admiring at the jewelry store. How in the world did he know?
“I can’t accept this,” she said, handing it back to him.
Kyle stuck out his bottom lip. “Aw, c’mon, Sydney.”
“Oh my word,” Lemon exclaimed. “You really can’t expect Sydney to keep that, Kyle.”
“Huh?”
Cherry crossed her arms and shook her head. “You don’t give jewelry to a lady you’re not engaged to.”
“Is that some kind of McCoy thing?” Kyle asked sharply.
“No, it’s some kind of manners thing.” Cherry grabbed the box and shoved it into his hand. “I would hate to think that you would want to damage Sydney’s reputation by gifting her with something that is only appropriate for the man who’s put a ring on her finger.”
Oh geez. Cherry was laying it on thick.
Kyle held up his hand, the small box almost falling. “I thought she’d like the earrings. Captain mentioned it the other day, so I paid attention, like a man interested in her would do.”
Sydney grabbed his arm. “Brody told you I wanted these?”
Kyle had the grace to blush. “No. I heard him say that they would look nice on you.”
“Do you usually talk about women and jewelry at the firehouse?” Cherry sneered.
“He was talking on the phone.”
Cherry huffed. “Of course he was.” She stood and pointed a finger at him, practically shouting at him in the diner. “Take your gift back, Kyle Davidson. Sydney is not that kind of girl.”
From the right guy, she could be. Plus, the earrings were pretty thoughtful, even if he had eavesdropped. “Thank you, Kyle, but I don’t feel comfortable taking a present like that from you.”
“Flowers are still okay, right?”
He seemed to be so eager to please that she caved. “Yes.”
He gave Cherry a cocky smirk. “I know flowers are an appropriate present.”
“Well, la-di-da, Mr. Manners. Even a broken clock is right once a day.”
Sydney glanced at Lemon, her brows raised as she silently asked what was wrong with her sis
ter.
Lemon shook her head and mouthed, “I have no idea.”
“Twice a day,” Kyle said.
“Pardon?”
Kyle’s cocky smile seemed to melt as he turned serious. “AM and PM. A clock stuck at one would be right at one PM and one AM.”
Cherry snapped her mouth closed. Her brown eyes narrowed at him. Sydney was sure her claws would come out and scratch the poor boy to death.
Suddenly, she turned to Sydney. “Thank you for lunch, but I have to go. Ladies, nice to chat with you as well.” With a flounce, she pushed past Kyle and sashayed out the door.
Kyle grunted. “Damn highfalutin woman.”
“She’s my friend,” Sydney told him.
“I’d watch your back.”
Unable to reveal that Cherry was helping her, Sydney scowled at him instead. “Should you be at the firehouse, or do I need to call your boss?”
Kyle’s easy smile reappeared. “That’s right, girl. I like the way you look out for me. Can’t expect to get a woman like you if I’m some loser without a job.” He strutted out of the diner.
“Oh Lord,” she moaned, dropping her head into her hands.
“That boy is a goner over you. Sure you don’t want him instead of Brody?” Lemon asked.
Sydney laughed. She couldn’t help it. It was kind of funny. For the first time in her life, she had a man pursuing her that she had no interest in while she was taking lessons on how to seduce a man she had no interest in by a man who had no idea she was interested in him.
*
Brody lay back on his bunk, tossing a foam ball at the ceiling and catching it on the way down. It had been two days since he’d last seen Sydney, and he couldn’t wait to be with her again.
In fact, he had asked one of his crew to switch shifts with him, just for the evening, so he could go to her. But, he had to be back bright and early. Not that he was planning to spend the night.
He frowned.
Actually, he couldn’t spend the night. People would talk and that was the last thing he wanted. Unless, they were talking about them as a couple, but Kyle was openingly flirting with her and bringing gifts.
“Hey, Rookie,” he shouted.
Kyle came running from the kitchen. “Yeah, Captain?”
“Heard you bought jewelry for Sydney.” He kept his voice steady and his aim true. “Care to explain yourself?”
“Not really.”
“Do it anyway.”
Kyle sat down on the bunk across from him. “I overheard you talking on the phone about earrings for Sydney, so I took it upon myself to go buy them and give them to her.”
“And?”
“She gave them back.” Kyle shuffled his feet. “How did you know?”
“Bailey told me while I was eating breakfast at Yates’ diner this morning.”
“Did she tell you Cherry McCoy yelled at me in the diner?”
Cherry had yelled at someone in public? That was new.
“But I put her in her place. Damn aggravating woman,” the younger man added with an uncharacteristic huff. Usually, Kyle was very easygoing. Then again, so was Cherry.
“There is something seriously wrong with you, Rookie, if you can’t get along with a McCoy woman.”
“I get along with her fine until she starts talking.”
“If you can’t handle a woman speaking her mind…”
“She wasn’t speaking her mind; she was out to humiliate me for giving Sydney a gift that was only proper for a man who put a ring on her finger to give.”
Brody glanced at him. “She’s right.”
“Then why were you talking about those earrings?” Kyle asked pointedly.
The ball he’d been throwing smacked him in the face. “Because her birthday is coming up,” he lied. “I’ve known her for twenty-three years. She’s been my best friend for that long, too. No one would think anything of it.”
Except him. He would think of it. He would think of her wearing those earrings, of convincing her to wear them without anything else on…but Kyle had ruined all of that. Not that it mattered because he was the one Sydney wanted while Brody was the one she was using to get what she wanted.
He sat up. “I suggest the next time you even think about buying Sydney anything, anything at all, you run it by me first to make sure it’s proper.”
Relief filled the younger man’s eyes. “Really? You’d do that for me.”
That was not what he meant, but he couldn’t very well explain what he meant. “Yeah, kid, I’d do that for you.” I’d do that for Sydney.
“Sweet.” Kyle jumped up. “Paul is making wings tonight—you’ll be here, right?”
“Nah. I have some business to take care of.”
“I hear you.”
Kyle didn’t walk away like Brody thought he would, so he leveled him with a look. “Something on your mind?”
“I asked Sydney to go out with me Friday night.”
He balled his hands into fists. Do not punch the kid, he reminded himself. But he wanted to so bad.
“And she said?”
“She said yes. So I need your help with picking out a place to go and what to bring her. I want her entire face to light up when she sees me.”
This is how you greet the man you want to seduce. His own words mocked him.
He grimaced. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Sydney could barely get the door all the way open before Brody had her pinned against the wall. “Brody!”
“You have a date with Kyle tomorrow night?” he growled.
She nodded.
His dark blue eyes glinted. “Show me what you’ll do when he comes to pick you up.”
Leaning forward a little, she pressed her mouth to his, sliding her lips to the corner and teasing him. She urged his mouth open and slid her tongue inside, curling it around his in that way she knew he loved. Her hands glided up his chest, coming to rest on his shoulders.
“How’s that?” she asked, nipping at his bottom lip.
“Fine.”
Fine! “Do you think Kyle will think it’s better than fine?”
His full lips flattened. “I think he’ll love whatever you do to him.”
“I don’t know what else to do with him to keep his interest,” she said softly, gauging Brody’s reaction. She truly didn’t care about keeping Kyle’s interest. “You have to give me another lesson.”
“Tonight’s lesson is about need,” he said against her lips. “For instance, I need to be inside of you.”
Her heart stuttered. “Right here, right now?”
“Sex against the wall is good, but I need to make sure you’re ready first.” He dropped to his knees and pushed up her short skirt. “Ah, hell. No panties again.” He glanced up at her. “Is this what you’re planning on doing for Kyle as well?”
Again, she nodded. She couldn’t admit otherwise.
His tongue touched her, making her cry out his name. She grabbed his hair and tugged slightly, keeping him against her while his mouth did things to her that made her entire body shake. In no time at all, she was seriously wet and screaming his name as she shattered into a million pieces.
Then he stood, unbuttoning his jeans and shoving them down. As he pulled out a condom, he glanced at her. “Two things. One, you can say no to this, and I’ll stop. Two, I got checked out early this week and my results came back today, all clean.”
“I…me, too. You too. It’s good,” she stammered, suddenly and ridiculously shy.
He brushed her cheek with his fingers. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m nervous,” she admitted.
Brody moved to put away the condom, but she grabbed his wrist. “I didn’t say I wanted to stop.”
“This is new territory for us, Syd. Help me out.”
“I don’t want things to change for us.” Please don’t stop being my friend. Please fall in love with me. Please be as crazy about me as Lemon and Cherry th
ink you are. Please don’t break my heart.
“They won’t,” he promised, sliding on the condom. “When all is said and done, you’ll still be my best friend. You’ll still be the woman who’s always been there for me. The woman I always want by my side. The woman—” He stopped and swallowed, pinning her with a heated, blue gaze. “You’re mine. Okay? For thirty days, you’re mine.”
And after? she wanted to ask, but she didn’t because his mouth was on hers and his erection was nudging her between her legs. He hooked his arm under her thigh and lifted it. He started to push into her, and she gasped.
“I can still stop this,” he said. “Don’t want to, but I will. You mean more to me than sex.”
Her heart melted, even more than it already had. “Then, make love to me, Brody.”
That was all he needed to hear and in her next heartbeat he was fully inside of her. “I didn’t know how good,” he groaned. “Best feeling in the entire world, sweetheart.”
“Move, baby,” she whispered into his ear. She’d been bold enough to take this step with him, so why not say all the things she’d only let herself fantasize about at night? “Make it good for both of us.”
“You talk during sex?” he asked, clearly pleased.
“I talk to you during sex,” she teased.
He lowered his head to hers. “Promise me one thing, beautiful.”
Oh, he called her beautiful. Even better—it sounded like he meant it. “Anything,” she said as he began to move.
“Don’t do this with Ky—anyone else. These lessons…” he said through gritted teeth. The tendons on his neck strained as he continued, “…are only for us.”
“Just for us,” she agreed.
His hips jerked against hers, and she dug her nails into his shoulders. “Like that.” He thrust harder, faster… until all she could do was hold on tight and bite her lip to keep from telling him she loved him.
“Come for me, beautiful. I want to feel you,” he ordered. Reaching between them, he pressed on her clit and rubbed it in firm circles.
“I don’t know if I can,” she panted.
He kissed his way up her neck and bit down on her earlobe. “Yes, you can. You can do anything, Sydney. My beautiful, perfect-in-every-way Sydney.”
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