She stared at him, her mouth falling open. “What are you saying, exactly?”
“You need to do some research for your articles. And I’m happy to help.”
“You want to help me research the seven sexy sins? Personally? Like, not in books?”
“Absolutely. Sounds like great fun.” They studied each other for a moment. Eventually he gave a short laugh. “You needn’t look quite so shocked.” His eyes twinkled. “Don’t you find me attractive?”
She gave him a wry look. “Of course I do—you know you’re sex on legs. That’s hardly the point.”
“So what is the point?”
“Dan would kill you if he knew you’d even suggested this.”
“Toby suggested it—he didn’t kill him.”
“Toby wasn’t serious.”
Rusty snorted. “Of course he was. He’d give his right arm to get you into bed.”
Shock rippled through her. “What are you talking about? I’m just Dan’s little sister. I’m hardly the target of anyone’s sexual fantasies.”
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?”
“I…” She looked down at herself before looking back up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re not twelve anymore. You’re not even fifteen. You’re a grown woman, with all the relevant…attributes. You must be aware every guy at the party tonight fantasised about seeing you naked at some point.”
“Rusty!” Her cheeks grew hot. Inside, however, she glowed at the thought that he saw her as an adult and not only as Dan’s younger sibling.
He laughed. “Faith, honestly. Are you that naive?”
She looked down at her hands. Yes, she thought, I am that naive. In spite of the fact that she advised women more than twice her age on her blog, and she wasn’t a virgin, she knew she was more innocent than most girls in their twenties. She was the youngest of their crowd, and she’d thought they’d always seen her as the baby. She’d never considered they saw her as a sexual possibility, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
She shifted in her seat. “I don’t understand. Why say this now? That night we kissed at my eighteenth birthday party… The next day you cold-shouldered me. I’d assumed you weren’t interested in me.”
She hadn’t mentioned it since it happened. It had surprised her at the time. It had been six months before the death of her and Dan’s parents. Blissfully unaware of what the following year was to bring, she’d been dancing in the garden, and Rusty had caught her hand and dragged her with him into the lemon trees. She’d gone laughingly, the sound of cicadas loud in her ears and the scent of lemons and mandarins in the air, expecting a quick peck or a teasing grope from an old friend to mark her coming of age, which she knew she’d be expected to resist with feigned indignation. Instead, however, he’d cupped her face in his hands, studied her for a moment and then kissed her. He’d brushed his tongue with hers and slipped his hand through her hair, making her heart thunder with unexpected passion. She’d gone to bed excited and dreaming of him, but the next day he’d been his usual self, cool and offhand. She’d felt hurt and a little stupid for being childish enough to think it meant something, but had done her best to forget it ever happened, wanting to keep his friendship, even if she couldn’t have anything more.
“Do you remember what I looked like the next morning?” he said.
“I don’t…oh wait, you had a black eye, didn’t you? You said you walked into a lamppost on the way home.”
“It wasn’t a lamppost—it was Dan’s fist.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”
“No. He saw us. And he knocked me flat into a pile of gorse. Fucking stung, I can tell you.”
She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh Rusty, I’m sorry.”
He grinned. “No worries. I backed off after that. I didn’t want to lose his friendship, and I realised he was right. I’m no good for you, Faith. Hell, I’m no good for any woman. I’ll never make a great husband. I’m under no illusions about that.”
She frowned again. “I hate it when you talk like that.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“No, it’s not. Just because your dad’s a prick doesn’t mean you’ll be the same.”
He shrugged. “It’s in the blood, and I’m not going to give it a chance to rear its ugly head.”
“Rusty…”
“Look.” He shifted in his seat. “This isn’t about me—it’s about you. I may be useless long term, but I’m not bad in bed.”
“I think you’re underestimating yourself, from what I’ve heard.”
“Well, that’s very kind.” He gave her a sexy smile. “Don’t you think it would be fun to practise your seven sins on me?” His green eyes were hot and lusty.
A strange shiver ran through her from her toes to the top of her head. They studied each other for a while. A smile crept onto her lips at the teasing look in his eyes. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re imagining doing each of the sins to me.”
“I am.”
“Well stop.” Her cheeks burned again. “This is crazy. I’d be mad to agree.”
“Why? I thought we were friends.”
“That’s what I meant.” She frowned. He was so gorgeous. She didn’t have any trouble admitting that. And she was happy to admit this wasn’t the first time she’d wondered what he was like in bed. His girlfriends had always enthused about his talents, even after he’d dumped them, and she’d been curious from a very young age as to what he got up to under the covers. But she’d always considered Dan’s friends to be off limits because he’d been so adamant that was the case, so she’d never considered any of them seriously. And because of that, they’d all grown to be close friends.
He reached out and took her hand. “Don’t look sad.”
“I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“Lose me? Why would you lose me?”
“Afterward. Wouldn’t it be weird?”
He shrugged. “Toby and Eve dated before she went out with Dan.”
“True, although that was several years ago.”
He studied her for a moment. He brushed her knuckles with his thumb. The gesture wasn’t sexual, but it made a frisson of desire run through her, and she realised that she was attracted to him, very much. He tipped his head, and she saw his gaze rest on her lips. “You know it was only a matter of time.”
“What?”
“Before we got down and dirty.”
Her eyes widened, and her heart thumped. Suddenly she realised Rusty wasn’t helping her out of the kindness of his heart. He really wanted to go to bed with her. Rusty Thorne, who, let’s face it, knew his way around the bedroom and could teach her a trick or two. The thought made her dizzy.
Then her brain kicked in. This is a bad idea. How many girls’ hearts had he broken over the years? She knew what he was like, how he refused to commit.
But he wasn’t talking about a long-term relationship, was he? He was talking about a finite agreement, seven sexual encounters. A tutor in the ways of love, to teach her all the things she’d never experienced. As a professional educator, Rusty saw it as his duty to instruct those less knowledgeable than him.
She licked her lips. “I’d want a contract.”
His lips curved. “A contract?”
“Specifying it would be for seven times only.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t make fun of me, Rusty.”
“I’m not.” But his eyes were amused.
“This is all about research. I’d have to take notes.”
He gave a short laugh, but nodded. “Okay.”
“I mean it. I’d run the show. My work’s important to me. I’d want to get it right. If we did this, it would be for exploring these seven sins with the aim of writing the articles. No messing around, no getting sidetracked.”
“I understand.”
She looked at his mouth. She coul
d still remember how soft his lips had been that night he’d kissed her. “Strictly business.”
“Absolutely.” He met her gaze. “Can I kiss you now?”
Her heart pounded. “Absolutely not. I haven’t finished yet.”
“Okay.”
“The contract will state that this remains secret. No telling any of our friends and definitely no telling Dan.”
“Well, obviously. I’d like to keep my balls intact.”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile. She was serious about this. “And if we did go ahead with it, we couldn’t go to your place or mine. A motel, out of town.”
“Sure. Sounds fun.” In the darkness of the car, his green eyes were the colour of a forest stream, wild and mysterious.
A thrill of excitement ran through her. Was she really considering this? Having sex with Rusty? Carrying out each of the seven sins with him? Watching porn, letting him lick chocolate sauce off her, letting him…oh dear Lord…perform oral sex on her? She couldn’t. Could she? She swallowed. “Why did you say ‘it’s only a matter of time’?”
He shifted in his seat, moving closer to her. “Because I’ve been waiting for it to happen. Haven’t you?”
“No,” she whispered.
He smiled. “Liar.” He was inches away from her now. “I’ve wanted you since you were eighteen.” He leaned forward and brushed her temple with his lips. “Actually, longer than that. Only I don’t want to sound like a pervert.”
“Rusty…”
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
She wanted to refuse but found she couldn’t. His arm was along the back of her seat, tanned and muscled, sprinkled with reddish-brown hairs, his bare chest inches from her fingers. Why hadn’t she noticed before how tall he was, how broad his shoulders were? “No tongues,” she warned him, heart thumping. “Not till the contract’s signed.”
He chuckled. “Okay.”
She let him close the last few inches, wondering if it would feel strange to kiss a guy she’d known almost half her life as a friend.
She closed her eyes. His lips brushed hers. They were warm and dry, and he kissed her languidly. He smelled of chlorine, sunscreen and hot, scorched skin, and he tasted of Coke and mint. Her heart thundered, and she was hit with the full force of the memory of her eighteenth birthday and how she’d felt when he kissed her in the garden among the lemon trees. But she sat still, reminding herself that this wasn’t a big romantic gesture. This was purely business. Like checking the hooves of a horse before you bought it.
She’d thought he was only going to kiss her once, but he continued to plant light, soft kisses on her mouth, very correctly keeping his tongue well out of the way.
What the hell. She opened her mouth and brushed his lips with her tongue.
He lifted his head. “I thought you said—”
“I lied.” She slipped a hand into his russet hair, curling her fingers in his ruffled locks.
He laughed, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. If the first kiss had been like the gentle sweep of a wave, the next one crashed over her with all the force of a tsunami. He kissed her deeply, his mouth hot, and he cradled the back of her head with his hand. She caught her breath, finding it difficult to exhale as he pressed her to him and brushed her tongue with his, filling her with a hungry need and an ache between her thighs.
Eventually, they both pulled back, breathing heavily, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Wow. I’d heard of spontaneous combustion, but I’ve never experienced it before.”
She wiped her lips with the back of her hand, shaking.
He studied her, smiling. “Too weird? You don’t feel like you’re kissing your brother or anything?”
“No, certainly not that.” It hadn’t felt weird at all. It had felt very…right. And very hot. “I’d better go in.” She picked up her bag.
“Wait.” He caught her hand as she went to get out. “Are you okay?”
“Sure.” She met his gaze and smiled. “You kiss nicely, Thorne.”
“You too, Hillman.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. “So, are we on?”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Sure.”
“When shall we start?”
“How about Saturday night? I’ll book a room somewhere.”
He smiled. “Okay.” The smile grew into a mischievous grin. “You want me to sort out the porn?”
“Nope. You can leave that to me. I want to see how easy it is and how embarrassing it is to get hold of some.”
He laughed and nodded. “So, until Saturday?”
“Until Saturday. Have a good day at school tomorrow.” The students had only recently returned after the Christmas break, and it would be a busy day for him.
“You too. Are you going to start your article?”
“Yes. I can tell the world I’ve found someone to play with.”
“I’ll read it. We’ll have to come up with a codeword so I know you were thinking of me when you wrote it.”
She thought for a moment. “I’ll call you Beau.”
“As in Peep? Who lost her sheep?”
She touched his hair. “Idiot. As in Beaujolais. My young red.”
He leaned over and kissed her again. “I look forward to reading it.”
She let him kiss her before drawing back, and gave him a cautionary look. “I’m not inviting you in.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Her lips twitched. “See ya later.”
“See ya.”
Chapter Three
The week seemed to pass slowly, and yet suddenly it was Friday night, and the next day Faith was due to meet Rusty and launch the first of the seven sins. Her heart pounded every time she thought about their date. Why? she kept asking herself. It’s only Rusty. But then that was the problem, wasn’t it?
She was on her way to Dan’s house. He’d rung and asked her to pop around, and she’d been happy to jump in the car, desperate to take her mind off the coming mission. She hadn’t really thought this through, she realised. She’d accepted Rusty’s proposal when she was half-drunk, using the organ located below her navel rather than the one in her skull to make the decision. The fact that she hadn’t been laid in a few months might have had something to do with it. But she was also aware that the latent attraction she’d tried to ignore for the past ten years or so had leapt to the surface with amazing speed.
It was only a matter of time, he’d told her. Had she thought that too? Certainly, after the kiss in the garden, she’d daydreamed about him, but as time went by and he showed no sign of wanting to develop a relationship, she’d tried to let go of any feelings she had for him.
But of course, they’d always been there. If she was honest with herself, she knew she’d fancied him from the moment he’d walked in with Dan when she was twelve. She’d been fixing her bike in the garage and had looked up to see this lanky guy dressed in black, whose brown hair glowed red in the sun like copper wire heated in a Bunsen burner. She’d fallen for him right then, but he’d always had a girlfriend on his arm, and after a few years Faith had talked herself out of the belief they would one day get together. The kiss hadn’t helped, but she’d managed to move on.
Until now. And now they were going to have sex. And not just any sex—an exploration of the most intimate things a guy and a girl could do together. They’d gone from stationary to light speed in seconds. How on earth had that happened?
She drove down to Dan’s house and pulled up outside. Toby’s car was there. And so was Rusty’s.
“Shit.”
Should she just drive off? But that would look too obvious. She’d told Rusty he had to pretend nothing was happening—she could hardly go and do the exact opposite.
Cursing, she got out of the car and let herself in the front door.
They were all in the living room, and she stopped dead. They’d obviously heard her pull up. Dan was standing, arms folded, in front of a chair he’d placed in the centre of the floor. Ev
e sat on the sofa next to Toby, both sipping a beer. They said hello and grinned. Rusty sat in the swivel chair at Dan’s computer desk, a Coke in his hand, halfway through a crossword. Dressed in his customary black T-shirt and jeans, he looked no different than usual, and yet her heart gave a very unusual thump as he glanced up. He nodded at her. His look, before he smothered it, was plainly apologetic.
“What’s going on?” Faith put her hands on her hips.
“Come and sit down,” said Dan, pointing to the chair.
She didn’t move. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Twenty questions?” They always carried out this ritual when one of them was trying to keep a secret.
Her brother glared at her. “Sit.”
She was tempted to turn around and walk straight out of the door but knew she had to play it cool. She closed the door behind her, walked past them and sat on the chair, Eve and Toby in front of her, Rusty to her right, just in her line of vision.
Dan stood in front of her, arms still folded. “Okay, so who is he?”
“Who’s who?”
He tipped his head. “You know perfectly well who. Eve read your website, and then I read it. You said you’ve found someone to help you out with your research.”
Faith lifted her chin. “So?”
“So who the hell is it?”
“I’m not going to tell you, Dan. I’m allowed to have some secrets in my life.”
“No you’re not. I want to know who he is, and I want to meet him.”
She burst out laughing. “And ask him about his prospects? Jeez, Dan, where are you from, 1852?”
“I’m serious.” He looked pained. “You can’t ask any guy off the streets to have sex with you.”
“Dan! He’s not just some guy off the streets. I’ve known him a while.”
“How long?”
She gave him a cool look. “A while.”
He glowered at her. “Tell me his name, at least.”
“Beau.”
“His real name.”
“Er… No.”
“Faith, he could be a freak, or a pervert or something.”
She bit her lip. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rusty chew his pen and knew he was trying not to laugh. “He could be. I’m hoping.”
Seven Sexy Sins Page 2
