“That’s not true,” Susie replied quickly but deep down she wasn’t so sure. “There’s nothing wrong with a girl wanting to let her hair down and have a good time.”
“You’re right, there isn’t. But at least admit why you’re doing it. You’re not some party girl, Suze. You’re normally level-headed, organized, and responsible. Having a roll in the hay with a guy that’s not going to call you the next day isn’t your usual behavior.”
“Responsible.” Susie practically spat out the word. “That’s me. My whole life I’ve been responsible Susie. I’m so fucking boring I can hardly stand myself.”
Amanda slapped her thigh, obviously frustrated. “Stop that. You are not boring. Far from it. Jesus on a bicycle, you jumped from an airplane. You’ve driven a race car. That’s not the behavior of someone who is boring.”
“That’s only been recently,” Susie retorted. “Let’s face it—I wouldn’t say I’ve led an exciting life for the most part. Personally I’d call it pathetic, but you know – potato, potahto.”
“Putting your mother’s health first was not pathetic,” Amanda argued. “It was selfless. She needed you and you were there. I know it didn’t leave you any time or energy for yourself and for that I feel badly for you. But honestly you didn’t miss anything but bad decisions and even worse men.”
Susie’s mother had fought a valiant battle against ovarian cancer that she had ultimately lost. Never in a million years would Susie begrudge those years she’d spent caring for her mother. They’d always been close and it had been a privilege to care for a loving parent. But the feeling that she’d somehow missed out on her youth was something she couldn’t shake. It was why she was always trying crazy things like sky diving, car racing, and now learning to shoot.
“I don’t think I’ve ever made a bad decision in my entire life.”
“Let me assure you Dane would be one.” Amanda’s tone was crisp and no-nonsense. “Listen, I love Dane. He’s a good guy with a big heart. But he’s never going to give that heart away. He might be fun for a few hours but he’d only make you feel worse afterward. Now a nice guy like Chris…”
Susie groaned. “I like Chris. He is a terrific guy, and until last night I honestly didn’t realize just how hot he was. But I’ve had this crush on Dane for years.”
“Hot, huh?” Amanda chuckled as she stood and walked over to the window. “I think Chris has got you pretty confused if the truth be known. He’s just as sexy as Dane, you know. And he’s not the type to leave you crying.”
No, Chris would never do anything like that. And he was sexy as hell. But…he wasn’t what she had planned.
“I don’t have those sorts of feelings for him.”
Except that the mere thought of him touching her again made her tingle from head to toe. He’d somehow managed to get her motor humming after it had been garaged for months.
“You don’t know what you want,” Amanda laughed. “I guarantee you that if Dane ever did make a move on you it would end up nothing like you’ve imagined.”
“You don’t know that.” Although Susie had a sneaking suspicion that her friend might be right. Perhaps Dane was simply a symbol that had somehow been blown out of proportion over the years. Maybe. But that didn’t mean she shouldn’t go for it. “Maybe I’ve held on to this Dane thing too long because of everything that’s happened. But it doesn’t mean I should change direction and go after Chris.”
“All I’m saying is keep an open mind. I know you had plans to get Dane’s attention this week.” She held up her hand and shook her head. “Don’t even try and deny it. I saw the sexy high heels you brought. The clingy little black dress that you love. You had plans, my friend.”
Susie sighed in defeat. “Fine, I had plans. I just want to have fun. Like other people do.”
“Then have fun. With Dane. Or with Chris. Or anyone else that you like. You have my complete and total support.”
“But?” Susie prompted. “You might as well say whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“But just be honest as to why you’re doing it. That’s all I ask.”
“I promise. Are you happy now?”
“Of course I’m happy. I’m getting married to Seb in a few days. Finally.”
“I’m really happy for you and Seb,” Susie said earnestly. “You deserve this.”
“So do you.” Amanda leaned forward to look straight into Susie’s eyes. “Don’t settle for less, Suze.”
Exactly what did she deserve? And would she even recognize it when she found it? That was her real fear. She’d find what she’d always dreamed of and not even realize it before it was gone.
*
Chris finally found Dane on the driving range hitting a bucket of balls. His friend looked up and waved, setting his club aside.
“I thought I was well hidden out here,” Dane laughed. “Is it time to go zip lining already? I thought I had until ten.”
“You do. This is about something else. You got a minute?”
“Sure. How about some orange juice? It’s already hot and humid today and I’m sweating up a storm out here.”
Chris nodded and Dane reached into a small cooler at his feet, pulling out two bottles and tossing one to Chris.
“So what’s up? Is this about the bachelor party Seb says he doesn’t want but probably secretly does? We could always take him out fishing on one of the boats. Amanda would geld us both if we hired strippers.”
“We do need to talk about that, but it’s not why I’m here.”
Now that Chris had arrived he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. How was he supposed to ask his best friend if he was interested in Susie?
The direct approach had always worked best for Chris.
Dane sat down on a chair and stretched out his legs with a groan of satisfaction. “So talk. I’m not going anywhere until I’m forced to. It’s peaceful and quiet out here away from everybody.”
While Chris liked to socialize Dane was an introvert, preferring to spend most of his time either alone or with just Chris and Seb. It was one of the many differences in the two men. Dane had dark brown – almost black hair – and piercing green eyes while Chris’s hair was light brown, almost the same color as his eyes. Dane liked everything organized and tidy while Chris was more laid back.
But despite all their differences the friendship worked. One of the reasons it had worked was that their taste in women was polar opposite of each other. They’d never pursued the same woman. Hopefully that trend would continue with Susie.
Chris sat on the chair opposite Dane’s. “I’m going to come straight out with this. I want Susie, and I need to know if this is going to be an issue for you.”
Chris braced himself for the answer.
Dane’s brows shot up and a smile curved his lips. “So something horizontal did happen last night? You two looked pretty caught up in each other. At first I thought you were just being a gentleman by sitting next to her and then asking her to dance. But later on…there were sparks flying between the two of you.”
“I am a gentleman and I don’t kiss and tell,” Chris retorted. “So are you interested in her or not?”
Dane’s smile vanished and he leaned forward to look directly into Chris’s eyes. “We’ve had this conversation before but I guess we’re going to have it again. The answer? Not. Susie is a sweet girl but completely not my type physically. Seriously, I thought you were just taking her off my hands last night. Until she left with you I thought she had a crush on me.”
Chris sucked in a breath, relieved to hear that Dane wasn’t going to be an issue. Or at least an issue for Chris. But there was still the little problem of Susie’s crush on Dane.
“She does have a crush on you, you fucking idiot. Why do you think she was hanging around where you were sitting? Why do you think she was giggling and flipping her hair? Women don’t do that shit unless they’re attracted.”
Dane frowned. “Is that why they do it? Shit, I thought it was just a weir
d affectation or something. Anyway, if she left with you, what makes you think she has a crush on me?”
“Because she’s had a crush on you since she was a teenager and those feelings don’t just disappear overnight. I’m guessing she likes your bad boy facade,” Chris said dryly. “Obviously she doesn’t know you well. Other than dating an endless string of women, you’re the worst bad boy ever. In fact, you’re boring as hell. What did you do the night before you came to the island?”
Dane laughed, a grin stretched across his face. “I had a date with one of that endless string of women.”
“Okay, night before that then.”
Scrunching up his forehead, Dane thought for a moment. “I did some work and then watched a baseball game.”
“See? Boring,” Chris stated.
“Hey, I was exhausted. Just because I don’t bungee or run with the bulls like you do doesn’t mean I’m boring. I prefer to think of myself as mature.”
Chris almost spit out his orange juice. “If you were any more mature we’d put you in a home. And this is the point I’m trying to make. Susie has a crush on you but she doesn’t truly know you. If she did she wouldn’t feel the way she does.”
“Well, fuck you very much. What’s wrong with me?” Dane’s expression was indignant despite the fact that he didn’t want Susie or any other woman to have feelings for him. He’d been more than clear on too many occasions to count. Dane didn’t think women wanted him for anything more than his king-sized bank account.
“Nothing. For a different type of woman you’re fine. But I think Susie wants someone who is going to show her a good time. Someone who is going to make her life exciting and filled with passion.”
“I’m fun.” Dane flipped Chris the bird. “And exciting, asshole. The women I date never have any complaints.”
“You don’t keep them around long enough to hear them. You take them to the symphony, to dinner, to movies, and even to football games. Do you see what all those things have in common?” Chris paused but Dane only shrugged. “You can do all those activities sitting down.”
Dane threw back his head and laughed. “I can assure you I do more than sit with the women I date.”
“I don’t want you to do that with Susie.” Chris placed the empty bottle at his feet. “I want you to make a point of showing Susie the real you.”
“The real me?” Dane asked with a grin. “Or a slightly exaggerated facsimile of me?”
“Whatever,” Chris grunted. Dane was having far too much fun with this conversation.
“So you want me to spend time with her and show her who I am but not too much time, is that the idea? I want to make sure I do this right.”
“Just be yourself. I know you wanted to avoid spending time with Susie because of this crush but I’m here to ask you not to do that. If you keep running she’s going to chase you.”
Dane rubbed his chin and nodded. “I can do that. Hopefully we can convince her that chasing you is a much better deal. Not that you would be running all that fast.”
“I only want a chance this week to show Susie that she and I could be good together. I’m not pledging undying love or asking her to marry me or anything.”
“Not yet, but you have that look in your eye that Seb had not long ago. I knew he was a goner the minute he said Amanda was planning our firm’s opening party. It was only a matter of time.”
Chris remembered that as well but then Seb had been in love with Amanda for years. This situation was different and it was way too soon to be declaring love no matter how good the sex was last night.
“Are you going to help me or not?” Chris asked bluntly. “I can do this without you but I think it would go more smoothly if you let her really see who you are.”
“Of course I’ll do it,” Dane agreed. “I’ve decided that I want you and Seb safely married off with half a dozen kids between you so that all the rest of the women are mine.”
“And that’s exactly the side of you I want Susie to see. The non-repentant horn dog with an ulterior motive for every move he makes.”
“That’s me,” Dane said cheerfully. “I think I can let my inner self shine this week. If the truth be known, I wasn’t planning anything different other than allowing you to entertain Susie so she wouldn’t be dogging my heels.”
“I’ll still be doing that too. I have some plans that are going to sweep Miss Susie off her feet.”
“Better you than me.” There was the usual sound of cynicism in Dane’s tone. “Love and forever after are just lies made up by greeting card companies and diamond ring stores. If you want companionship, get a damn dog. They’re sure as hell more faithful.”
How many times had Chris heard similar words from Dane’s mouth? It had become something of a running joke between the three of them.
“Don’t say that too loud,” Chris warned. “It only makes females want to reform you, for fuck’s sake.”
“God help them, I have no intention of ever changing. This is who I am.” Dane hopped up from the lounge chair and threw his bottle in the trash can. “So do we need a plan? You weren’t thinking about winging it, were you?”
The uber-organized Dane did love to put plans together. “Relax, I’ve got this covered. I think I know how to dazzle a woman. I’m not some teenager on his first date.”
“I’m sure you do. Not many people realize it but you’ve been with just as many women as I have. You just fly under the radar better.”
“I doubt I’ve been with that many women,” Chris denied. “But I haven’t kept count.”
“That is tacky,” Dane agreed. “So when do we start?”
“Today. I don’t have much time. Right now she’s thinking of all the reasons we shouldn’t be together so I’ll have to deal with those one by one.”
And there was no time like the present to begin.
Chapter Three
‡
To Susie’s chagrin it looked like she had nothing to worry about. The entire time they were zip lining Chris was friendly but definitely not hanging all over her as she had feared. He acted…completely normal, as if this was any other day and something momentous hadn’t happened between them last night.
It kind of pissed her off. Just a little.
After all the sex had been amazing. Off the charts fantastic. Did he have sex like that every day with various women and then go about his business? She’d always thought Dane was the bad boy, love ’em and leave ’em type but maybe Chris was too. She might just be a notch in his belt. Or headboard. Or wherever men put notches in the modern world. Maybe their smart phone?
His friendly, easygoing attitude continued all through the afternoon and now it was dinner time. The entire bridal party was supposed to gather in the living room in less than five minutes and Susie was still ransacking her wardrobe for the perfect outfit. One that said she was okay about last night but that it wasn’t going to happen again.
Was that a pantsuit or a dress?
She was tugging a brightly flowered sundress over her head when she heard a knock at her bedroom door.
“Just a minute,” she called out, struggling to tie the straps and smooth the skirt down over her thighs simultaneously. “Hold on.”
Breathless from her efforts, the remaining air was sucked from her lungs when she swung the door open.
“Are you ready for dinner?” Dane asked, looking handsome in black trousers and a red button-down shirt. “I thought you might want an escort.”
He was giving her a charming smile that tied her tongue but somehow she managed to nod. He hadn’t paid much attention to her in the past whenever they were at the same get-together so this behavior was a shock. But when a gift horse trots into a girl’s bedroom, she simply needed to go with it and not ask too many questions.
One last quick look in the mirror and they were walking side by side down the stairs. Dane was tall, an inch or two over six feet and in excellent shape. Leaner than either Seb or Chris, he carried not an ounce of spare fl
esh on his frame but still managed to look powerful, almost like a swimmer.
“Did you enjoy the zip lining today?” Somehow she managed to get the question out despite her heart nervously beating in her chest. “I’ve never done that before.”
Dane nodded but didn’t look down at her. “It was okay. Honestly I’m not much for these adrenaline rush activities. I’d rather watch an old movie or read a good book, maybe go to the theater or the symphony. If I want to sweat I go to the gym or go for a run with my dog.”
“Oh,” Susie said, rather nonplussed by his response. The symphony sounded like hell on earth. “I thought today was pretty awesome. I love the rush I get—it’s like flying. In fact, that’s something I want to do. I want to learn to fly a plane. Maybe one of those ultra-light gliders.”
Dane’s gaze finally met her own and he smiled.
“Chris flies his own plane.”
She couldn’t help herself. The first thing she saw in the room of people was Chris standing next to Seb, laughing and talking, holding a highball glass. He was wearing a pair of cream-colored pants and a white button-down shirt that contrasted with his golden skin. His light brown hair looked freshly washed and his jaw just-shaved.
When he lifted the glass to his lips, the muscles in his arms bunched and moved under the straining fabric and she bit into her lower lip as her gaze moved down to his flat abs and then lower to his…
Stop!
Her cheeks hot, their gazes collided and he simply smiled and raised his glass as if in salute. Had he seen her checking out the fly of his pants? Or really what was behind that fly? She already knew it was impressive by anyone’s standards but that didn’t mean she had to dwell on it. Except she’d kinda been doing that today. Every time he was in her line of vision she caught herself lusting over his body.
What the hell was wrong with her?
“Can I get you a drink? Maybe a glass of wine?” Dane asked, still at her elbow. She’d somehow forgotten all about him. She needed to smack herself upside the head. This was the chance she’d been waiting for. The chance to show Dane she wasn’t a little kid anymore. She was fully grown with a woman’s needs…and Chris had certainly sated those needs last night.
Diamonds and Revolvers Page 2
