by Rita Sawyer
“You really think you can spend a week with that hunk and just walk away?” Amy would ask her something like that.
“Yes. He asked for one week, and it’s all he’s going to get.” Dianne hoped by the end of the week he’d see how wrong they were for each other.
“I don’t know. If it was me, I might take full advantage of the week and enjoy every minute and inch of him.” Jillian smiled at the waiter who placed her iced caramel mocha coffee in front of her.
He blushed and quickly distributed the rest of the drinks before fleeing back to the counter. Everyone laughed, even Lainey, which was a relief. They were going to have to leave him a big tip.
“So is there anything we can we do to help?” As usual, Karen was the first to try and come to the rescue.
“Not yet, but believe me, if I need help I know who to call.” Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, but it helped her knowing they were there if she needed them.
“Wait.” Sadie slapped her hand on the table with enough force to shake all their drinks. “You said are dating, not will be. When did this start?”
“We pretended to be dating so the groomsmen wouldn’t think there was anything odd about us being together.” She paused and took a sip of her coffee, letting her friends digest that before she told them the rest. “Yesterday we went out for lunch. Then we spent the afternoon at the mall.”
Dianne wanted to laugh at the mix of expressions on her friends faces. Surprise, confusion, and disbelief stared back at her. She could only imagine what would have happened if she told them she went to dinner with him. There wasn’t a chance in hell she would tell them he’d walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight. The kiss had started off innocent enough, but if she hadn’t caught herself it could have turned serious. That’s what had kept her up all night, and now she thought she had a plan to deal with him.
“How was it?” Amy finally managed to ask.
“Not bad.” She shrugged her shoulders, downplaying the whole thing, even though the trip had given her a glimpse at another side of Gage.
“But you hate the mall. Hell, you hate shopping period!” Lainey’s voice reflected the shock on her face.
“I know, but Gage was searching for a birthday gift for his eight–year-old niece. I guess I found his struggle to be a good distraction.”
Soon the conversation turned to how men could be so clueless. Strangely, she found herself wanting to defend Gage. She held back, of course. The last thing she wanted was to give her friends a reason to think her feelings might actually be involved in her bargain with Gage. Her body would be, but not her heart.
“You know, maybe Gage is suffering from TOTCS,” Sadie said in her professional reporter’s voice.
“What is TOTCS?” they all asked.
“Thrill of The Chase Syndrome. A lot of guys, and even quite a few women, suffer from it,” she explained, and Dianne laughed at the seriousness of her tone.
“I think she may be right. Women seem to flock to Gage. Dianne’s resistance could be a challenge he’s been missing,” Karen said.
“You guys don’t show any interest in him either.” Dianne pointed out the slight flaw to their assumption.
“That’s because he barely notices us when you’re around,” Amy said with a smile, and Jillian and Karen nodded.
“It sounds like a load of bullshit to me,” Lainey said. “Besides, I think Gage really likes her.”
“Me, too, that’s the problem.” Jillian giggled, and Dianne rolled her eyes.
“Guys, none of this matters,” Dianne claimed, though she knew it did.
Sadie ignored her protest and went on. “Actually, if we wanted to put to put my theory to the test, we could.”
“Don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us how you’d do it.” Jillian’s excitement didn’t pan out well for Dianne, and she knew it.
Before Sadie could say anything else, Dianne held up her hand and said, “I don’t want to know.”
For crying out loud, she already had enough ideas rolling through her head. She knew imagination, like knowledge, could be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. With an imagination like hers she was bound to find trouble if she gave it free rein. Adding her friends ideas would no doubt encourage her to do something she’d most likely regret.
“Relax. I’m not going to suggest you do anything drastic. Jillian had it right when she said she would enjoy him.” Sadie tipped her head at Jillian, who nodded back. “Why not let yourself have some fun? After all, Lainey did dare us to pick a guy and have some fun.”
“So you all think Gage should be my guy?” she asked, wondering if they were serious about this.
Her friends filled the air with a resounding chorus of, “Yes.”
* * * *
Gage had decided not to plan anything too intense for their second date. He wanted her to see he could be the one for her, but that wasn’t going to happen overnight. She didn’t seem the type to be easily swayed, so he had his work cut out for him. He had a strong feeling flowers and an expensive dinner weren’t going to impress her. Hopefully what he planned instead would.
If it did, he was going to owe his mother. She had always told him the lessons she taught him would come in handy when he met the right woman. So far none of the women he’d dated had lived up to her expectations, but deep down inside he knew Dianne would if she ever got to meet her. The way his plans were going, he wasn’t confident that would happen. Maybe tonight would change things.
Then again, his plan had a fifty-fifty chance of backfiring. Gage refused to think negative thoughts. When he called her and made their date for dinner and a movie, he’d given her the option of him picking her up, or her driving herself. As he assumed she would, Dianne opted to drive herself. Once he gave her the address, his plan had been set in motion.
She’d be there at six thirty, which gave him plenty of time to get everything ready and jump in and out of the shower before she arrived. He tossed the movie on the table and stuffed the food in the fridge. His mother had bought him a new set of dishes for good luck when he’d moved into the townhouse. Up until now they’d just sat in the cupboard, but tonight he hoped they’d work whatever magic his mother thought they held.
Table set, movie in the DVD player ready to go, he headed for his bedroom. He hit the radio as he walked by and a steady beat filled the air. The song reminded him of the night Jace and Lainey got married. Dianne and her friends had danced most of the night. He stripped and climbed into the shower, remembering the way her body had swayed and shimmied. Naked, standing under the hot spray, his muscles should have started to relax, but thinking about her had certain parts of his body growing tight. He looked down at his cock, which was demanding his attention. Maybe being naked and thinking about Dianne wasn’t such a good idea. Especially not when she would be arriving soon.
Gage figured he had two choices. He could take care of himself, which might take the edge off his desire. Or he could suffer, which was nothing new. Since he doubted the relief would last past the minute she stepped over the threshold, he took the quickest shower on record and got out of the bathroom. He dried off, slipped a pair of boxer briefs on, and was stepping into his jeans when he heard the doorbell ring. A quick glance at the clock had him wondering who the hell it was, since he figured Dianne would either show up right on time or make fashionably late arrival. He slung his T-shirt over his shoulder and headed for the door, rubbing his wet hair with the towel.
Gage peeked through the peep hole and saw Dianne. She had her back to the door and was looking around. Her wavy auburn hair was up in a ponytail that swung along her shoulders when she moved her head. The black shirt she had on made her hair look a lot redder than normal. She’d tucked the shirt into a pair of leopard print pants that came to her knees and hugged her curves. The black high-heeled slip-on sandals brought only one thing to mind. She turned around to face the door, and his jaw dropped. Her shirt was low-cut, showing off an ample amount of cleavage.
She looked like one of the pin-up models his grandfather had hung up all over his garage. It took him a minute before he could look away. He raised his gaze to her face and got another shock. Normally she wore her makeup light and natural, if she had any on at all. He still wasn’t sure about that. Tonight though, her lips were painted a red shade that matched her belt. What didn’t surprise him was that her eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, though the sun was already setting.
These were leopard print like her pants. They looked good on her. She must have at least a dozen pairs, because he didn’t think he’d seen her wear the same ones twice. Not that it mattered, because he hated them all. Gage wanted to look into those beautiful green eyes and see what she was thinking. They were the shield she used block the world out unless she wanted to let someone in. He wanted in, and he planned on doing whatever he had to do to get there. Gage saw her lift her hand to ring the bell again.
He yanked the door open and said, “You’re early.”
“Lucky me.” Dianne smiled, looking him up and down.
Her gaze lingered on his bare chest, reminding him he hadn’t put his shirt on yet. The heat that flashed through him at her appraisal made him consider leaving it off. If he had to use his body to woo her, it would be a sacrifice he was more than willing to make. The problem was he wanted more than her body, and he knew he wasn’t going to get to her heart by falling into bed with her.
“Come on in.” He opened the door and stepped aside, but she managed to brush her shoulder along his chest as she passed him.
He laid the towel on one of the dining room chairs, and as he slipped his T-shirt over his head, she said, “You don’t have to get dressed on my account. I’m in no rush to leave.”
“That’s good, because I thought we’d have dinner here instead of going out. I even rented us a movie for later.” He figured he should spring it on her right from the start so that if she refused, they’d have time to go someplace else.
“Are you actually going to cook, or are we ordering in?” Her question took him by surprise since he was expecting more of a reaction than that.
“I’m cooking.” He wanted to show off for her.
“I hope you’re good, because I’m starving.” She dropped her black purse on the coffee table and looked around the living room.
“I’ve never had any complaints.” He wished they weren’t talking about food.
“Is this your niece?” she asked, pointing to a young girl’s picture, which was mixed in among the others that lined his bookshelves.
“Yeah, that’s her.” He walked over and stood right behind Dianne, giving into his desire to be near her.
She turned, bringing them face to face. It would have been real easy to kiss her, but Gage held back. Tonight he had to stick to his goals and not let his hormones run the show. He needed to take things slow and show her he wanted to get to know her, not just sleep with her. Oh, he wanted that, too. So badly that he couldn’t sleep without dreaming about it, but he’d suffer gladly if it got her to see they could be a real couple.
“Have you found her gift yet?” Dianne asked, pushing her glasses up onto her head as she turned back to the pictures.
“No. I’ve been searching online for ideas, but nothing seems right.” Even though he was getting discouraged, he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
“You’re running out of time, aren’t you?” He wanted to believe she wasn’t purposefully rubbing salt on the wound so to speak.
“Yes. Her party is this Saturday.”
“Just think, by the time you have kids of your own you’ll be a pro at shopping for them.”
Gage could tell something was going on, though he couldn’t pinpoint just what it was. He got the distinct impression Dianne was being too nice. Normally she was civil enough, but she usually kept an odd distance between them. Tonight the remoteness seemed to be gone. It was nice to be around her without it, but he couldn’t help wondering why the sudden change. He had no choice but to let things play out and hope he could handle whatever she threw his way.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Why don’t we head into the kitchen and get you fed.” He held out his hand and waited to see whether or not she took it.
Chapter Four
Dianne slid her hand into his and said, “I don’t cook.”
“You can just keep me company.” He chuckled as he tugged her along behind him.
He led her into an amazing kitchen which put hers to shame. First off, it was double the size. Normally, she never gave it much thought, since she really didn’t spend much time in there. Second, he had all sorts of appliances on the counter. Seeing his setup kind of made her wish she did cook. He turned the oven knob as he walked past. Looking strangely at ease in the kitchen he slid a sheet pan with little things on it inside the oven. Then he walked over and started pulling all kinds of stuff out of the fridge, giving her a minute to gather her thoughts.
As she took a seat at the counter bar she told herself again for the thousandth time since she left her apartment that she was doing the right thing. Gage wanted her, and he didn’t know, but she’d finally admitted to herself that she wanted him, too. So she decided to give them both what they wanted. A short affair might be just the thing she required. She just needed to keep things light so neither of them got hurt when she walked away at the end of the week, because she would definitely walk away.
“So what are you making?” She put her elbows on the counter and leaned forward to see what he was doing.
His eyes landed on her breasts. She couldn’t blame him since she practically stuffed them in his face. Hell her whole outfit had been chosen because she wanted to turn him on. She hoped it might knock him off balance a little, which would put them on even footing. Most of the men she knew didn’t think clearly when they were concentrating on a woman’s body. It was sad, but she was willing to use any advantage she had when dealing with him.
“Alfredo pasta primavera with shrimp.”
“Really?” She hadn’t been expecting something so upscale and complicated.
“Well, the other day at lunch you seemed torn between it and the shrimp scampi, so I thought you might enjoy trying mine.” His cocky smile should have pissed her off, but she couldn’t be mad when he was making one of her favorite dishes.
“And you just happened to know how to make it?” She hoped this wasn’t his first time, since she didn’t like the idea of being the one to taste it if he was experimenting.
“I have a little Italian in my family.” If he thought that was going to help, she might be in serious trouble.
“How little?” Dianne asked as she watched him deftly chop the veggies.
“About five-five.” She groaned, and he laughed as he explained. “My mother’s aunt lives in Italy.”
“And she gave you the recipe?” Things could be looking up.
“No.” He shook his head, dashing her hopes. “She taught me to make it when I visited her a few years ago.”
“I would love to go to Italy.” She loved the rustic countryside she always saw in the movies. “Ireland and Scotland are on my list, too.”
“I’ve never been to either of them, but my sister has been to Scotland.”
They slipped into an easy conversation. She let him do most of the talking, but she asked plenty of questions. The more he talked, the more she learned about him and his family.
After about thirty minutes, Gage must have decided he’d talked enough. “Why don’t you tell me about your day?”
“There’s not much to tell.” She shrugged even though he had his back to her and couldn’t see it. “I had lunch with the girls.”
“Did you have a good time?” He smoothed a butter concoction on two halves of Italian bread.
“I always have a good time with my friends, but I’m not sure we’ll be heading back to that particular café any time soon.” She couldn’t hold back her smile remembering how they’d behaved.
“Why not?” Gage asked as
he stuffed his hand into an oven mitt shaped like a hot pepper and lifted the sheet pan off the counter and opened the oven.
“Jillian and Sadie may have spooked the waiter.” That was putting it a bit mildly.
“What did they do?” He slid the pan into oven and reached for the one on the rack below it.
“Actually it was my fault. I told them about us and our deal—”
He glanced back at her and the hot pan slipped. Gage reached out and grabbed it with his bare hand. It was probably instinctual, but stupid all the same. He hissed, not letting it go until it hovered over the counter.
Dianne was already rounding the counter before he started waving his hand around and shouted, “Shit!”
She grabbed his hand, stuck it in the sink, and turned on the cold water, holding it under the spray. He hissed as she turned it and stroked his hand. There were some red marks—mostly on his finger tips—but they weren’t blistered or anything. She realized how intimate the moment was and did her best not to avoid looking him in the eyes. Her hands stilled long enough for him to slide his fingers between hers before she pulled away.
She smiled up at him as she reached to shut the water off. “I think you’re going to live.”
“Until your friends get a hold of me, you mean?” He took the towel she handed him.
“Actually they all thought us spending the week…um…getting to know each other better is a good idea.”
“Have you considered that they just might be right?”
“Not yet, but I’ve agreed to have an open mind.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. So are you going to be able to finish cooking my dinner?” she teased as she headed back to her chair.
“I’ve been declared fit to return to duty, so I guess so.” He used the towel to move the pan onto the top of the stove.
“Good, because I really am hungry.” Again, she deftly avoided making eye contact.
