by Rita Sawyer
“Yup. We’re going out tonight.”
“I gathered that much. He makes you laugh.”
“Actually, I was laughing at him. It seems Jace is giving him a hard time about dating me.”
“What did you expect? He thinks of all of us as an extension of his wife. Gage may be his best friend, but even that isn’t going to stop Jace from letting him know he’s watching him.”
“Where did that little pearl of wisdom come from?”
“Being the only girl with four brothers and an overprotective father has taught me a lot. And you might want to remember the conversation my brothers had with Jace when he first started dating Lainey.”
“Not going to happen!” Dianne said with a shake of her head. “This is only going to last a week, so by the time they find out, they won’t need to talk to Gage.”
“That’s if you don’t change your mind. Once you sleep with him, you might decide to keep him around for a while.”
Dianne felt the heat bloom on her cheeks. This morning when she’d slipped out of his bed, there had been a brief moment of indecision. When she quietly crept out of his house, she was still considering what it might be like if they were in a real relationship. Once she got home, took a shower, and had something to eat, she’d gotten her wits back. She and Gage were having a fling, and come Sunday— just four and a half days from now— they’d be through. She didn’t see any reason to remind Gage of that fact.
She did, however, need to have a talk with Jace and find a way to explain the situation to him. Hopefully without her coming off as a tease, or worse, a slut. The last thing she wanted was to feel uncomfortable around one of her best friend’s husbands. Of course she didn’t want him to think badly of her, either.
“Oh my… You’ve already slept with him. I can’t believe it only took him two dates to get in your pants.”
“I didn’t say that. And we pretended to date for three weeks, remember?”
“You didn’t have to say it. All of a sudden you’re way too quiet, and your cheeks are the reddest I’ve ever seen them.” Amy’s teasing tone just made her cheeks hotter.
“I told you, we’ll talk about it tomorrow at lunch. Right now I have a few errands to run before my date tonight.” She gathered her things and tucked them into her tote bag.
“Dianne, you know I’m eventually going to get all the juicy details,” Amy called out as Dianne walked out of the room.
* * * *
Gage was about to walk into the bakery totally unprepared but determined to find a way to get Lainey to talk to Dianne. Maybe Lainey could give him some ideas on how to make Dianne understand it wasn’t just her body he was after. He opened the door and froze.
“Well don’t just stand there.” Dianne’s friend Amy called out.
Gage step inside and let the door close behind him. “Is Lainey around?”
“I’m right here.” She came out of the other room carrying a tray of goodies.
“Gage, come sit down and help us taste test some of Lainey’s new creations.” Sadie pulled the chair out between her and Jillian.
It was too late to turn tail and run, so he walked over and sat down. “Will Dianne be joining you?”
“No,” Karen said. “She had a meeting.”
Lainey placed the platter of treats in the center of the table. It was covered with little square cakes, brownies, and chocolate covered pastries. The girls didn’t waste any time. Each of them reached forward, grabbed something, and took a bite. Gage followed suit, picking up a brownie. He bit into it and was surprised by the chocolaty mint flavor.
“Oh man. This is fabulous.”
“Thanks.” Lainey smiled. “So Gage, what brings you by today?”
“I was hoping to talk to you about how things are progressing between me and Dianne.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Honestly, I could use a little advice.”
“You’ve already gotten her into bed so you must be doing okay.” Amy gave him a smile and waggled her eyebrows.
That got everyone’s attention. Karen and Jillian both bobbled their treats. Lainey held hers in front of her gaping mouth. Sadie was the only one who didn’t seemed shocked by Amy’s comment.
“Good for her.” She popped the last piece of her little pink frosted cake into her mouth.
“You had sex?” Lainey’s question sounded more like an accusation.
“We made love.” He nodded. “Now, can we talk about what I should do next?”
“You’ve conquered her body. Now you need to go for her heart and mind,” Karen said.
She was right, but that’s where his problem lied. “She won’t give me access to those.”
“We’ll see what we can do about that, but you need to answer some questions first.” Sadie’s conditional offer was risky.
It was a risk he was willing to take. “Ask me anything.”
Chapter Six
Dianne didn’t know why she felt so nervous. She’d talked to Jace, and once she reassured him she knew what she was doing, he seemed more comfortable. As she suspected, Lainey had told him all about the bargain she’d made with Gage. Jace, being a gentleman, offered to make Gage back out, but Dianne was having none of it. She’d agreed to his demands with her eyes open, and she was going to see it through.
The funny thing was, the whole time Jace had been offering to protect her from his best friend, it seemed he couldn’t help but defend him. Their loyalty came naturally. Their bond was just as strong as the one between her and her friends. Jace probably didn’t even realize he was singing Gage’s praises.
Dianne looked at the clothes strewn about her bed and floor. It was reminiscent of how she kept her bedroom when she was a teenager. So were the butterflies she felt fluttering around inside her stomach. It felt a lot like first date jitters, which in this case was absurd. Hell, as Amy pointed out, they’d already had sex. She should have known from the way she was attracted to Gage that sex with him would be combustible. Maybe she’d been hoping that that’s where their connection would have fizzled out.
Okay, so that may have been wishful thinking, but it had been lurking around in her mind in some subconscious form. Now that she knew just how incredible he was in bed she was going to have to look for some other major flaw that would give her a good reason to stick with the plan to end things. Not that he’d mentioned keeping them going after Sunday, but she wanted to be prepared if he did.
So far, she everything she’d listed ended up in the pro column and the list just seemed to keep growing. He was gorgeous, had manners, he’s a family man, can cook, looks just as good naked as he does in jeans and a T-shirt, lives alone, has a good job, and drives a nice dependable car instead of something flashy.
The only con she had was that he practically blackmailed her into dating him. She could blame herself for that one, since she hadn’t given Gage any other choice. If she kept thinking about this instead of getting dressed, she’d still be practically naked when he knocked on the door. Though that might not be such a bad thing, she thought as she yanked another shirt off the bed. Without knowing where they were going, she had no idea what the hell to wear.
She grabbed a pair of black leggings and tugged them on. The sleeves of the blue and gold silky tunic she chose to go with them came to her elbows, and the hem stopped mid-thigh. The effect was a loose, flowy style that should work with whatever he had in mind. Now her shoes were in a completely different category. They were shiny black leather four-inch spiked heels that said one thing. And it wasn’t let’s go for a walk. She hoped he was smart enough to see the outfit for what it was and adjust his plans accordingly.
If they turned out not to be enough of an incentive, then she might drop a few not-so-subtle hints about how she’d like to spend the night. One last look in the mirror told her she was good to go. She glanced at the clock and noticed she had five minutes to spare.
* * * *
Gage hated being late, but after what he’d just been through, it was worth it.
When he ducked out of work early to go see Lainey at her bakery, he hadn’t considered the possibility that the rest of the Sin Sisters would be there, too. He’d once laughed at the moniker, thinking how ill-fitting the name was for her little group. After they grilled them, he thought it was quiet apropos. Hell, they were relentless in their questioning to the point of practically barring him from ever seeing Dianne again if he didn’t tell them what they wanted to know.
Luckily for him, he must have given them the right answers, because it seemed they were now his allies. He wasn’t clear of trouble just yet. He figured Jace wasn’t going to like that he’d gone to speak to his wife without him there. Not that he had anything to be worried about, but he’d told Gage he needed to be careful when dealing with Lainey and her friends. It was too late to second-guess himself now.
He pulled up in front of Dianne’s apartment building and spotted her sitting on the front steps, waiting for him. She didn’t look happy, but she did look beautiful. Well, except for the gold sunglasses she had on. He got out of the car and walked over to her.
“I’m sorry I’m late, but I got hung up,” he said as he neared the steps.
“It’s fine.” She held out her hand, and he grasped on to it and helped her to her feet.
“Actually, it might not be.” He figured the best way to handle the situation was to be totally up front.
“Why?” She stopped walking, but she didn’t pull her hand away.
“I went to see Lainey this afternoon.”
“Why?”
“I thought maybe if I explained my side of things, she could get Jace to stop acting like bulldog and back off a little.”
She smiled and gave a shake of her head as she started for the car. “And how did that go?”
“It could’ve gone better,” he admitted as he opened the door for her.
She laughed as she slid into the car. Gage didn’t know what she saw funny about the situation. She was still laughing when he got in the car.
“I could have told you Lainey wasn’t going to go easy on you just because you’re Jace’s best friend.”
“I wasn’t expecting her to. I also wasn’t expecting Amy, Jillian, Karen, and Sadie to be there.” He started the car and pulled out into the light stream traffic.
“I can imagine the reception they gave you. I’m sorry. They can be a bit overprotective at times.” Her apology was unnecessary, but nice to hear.
“Your friends love you. I know they aren’t going to just let me or any other guy force you to do something you don’t want to.”
“Sadie, right?” She guessed.
“Yeah, she made sure I could repeat it word for word.” It was just one of the reasons he was late.
“Well, you’re still in one piece, so where are we going?” Her abrupt change of topic surprised him.
“You don’t want to know what we talked about?” He couldn’t believe she wasn’t pressing him to tell her more about the meeting.
“More like what they made you tell them,” she countered with a shrug.
“Okay, yeah, they made me talk.”
“Don’t feel bad. Between Amy, Sadie, and Karen you never had a chance. I’m guessing you told them we had sex.”
“Made love.” He dared a quick glance, happy to see her smile. “I confirmed it, because according to Amy, you already told them.”
She chuckled as she shook her head. “She played you, because I didn’t admit anything.”
“That’s what I figured, but it was too late to take it back. Anyway, they all had their opinions on whether or not I’m good enough for you. In the end, it was Karen who decided that it was up to you.” Gage at least deserved the chance to prove they might be good for each other.
“Well for the next four days, you are.” Her teasing tone fostered the slightest hope there was a chance he could find a way into her heart.
“I need to make a quick stop before your surprise, if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” she said just as he spotted the store up ahead.
Gage pulled into the parking lot. He had to drive through the lot twice before he found an empty slot and eased his car into it. Dianne didn’t say anything as he shut the car off and climbed out. He walked around the car, opened her door, and held out his hand to help her out.
Unlike when he walked her to the car earlier, this time she immediately released his hand and walked in front of him. He was fine with that, but when they got to the door he reached for it before she could. He laid his hand on the small of her back as he ushered her inside the building. An older woman instantly appeared in front of them.
“Welcome to Solitaire’s. My name is Charlene. Is there something I can help you with?” Her perky tone and smile couldn’t be phonier.
“Well I’m, looking for something special for a special young lady.” Gage glanced at Dianne, not realizing that he was giving the woman the impression he was interested in buying something for her.
“Of course, sir. Our selection of engagement rings are right over here.” The woman held her arm out indicating they should go that way.
“Whoa! Back it up,” Dianne squealed.
“I’m sorry, I thought…” The lady waved her hand between the two of them.
Gage laughed until Dianne stuck her elbow in his side. “It’s my fault. I was a little vague. What I meant is I’m looking for a gift for my eight-year-old niece.”
“Oh, I see. Do you have something specific in mind?” The woman’s earlier excitement had disappeared.
“I do. Can you show me what you have in the way of lockets?” The idea had struck him late last night.
They followed the woman to a counter located near the back of the store. Gage watched her remove a maroon velvet tray out of the glass display case. It held a row of nine lockets, each on a gold chain. She lifted each individual locket off the tray and told them about it. Though they were all pretty, only one of them really stood out. It had an etched vine design, with little hearts instead of leaves. In the center there was a heart where he could have her initials engraved. He was sold, but he still wanted Dianne’s opinion.
“What do you think of this one?” He ran his finger over the front of the locket he liked.
To his surprise, Dianne took off her glasses and tucked them into a pocket on the front of her purse. She picked up the necklace and let it hang from between her thumb and index finger. With a rub of her thumb she had the locket twirling. She stopped it just as quickly as she had started it. After she opened and closed the clasp on the chain a few times, she moved on to the locket itself and did the open-close test.
She laid it down on the tray and picked up another down the line. The necklace had a locket of similar in size, but it wasn’t as decorative. She gave the chain and pendant the same treatment as the other one. Gage looked from Dianne to the sales associate, who seemed unconcerned by Dianne’s actions. He, however, was at a total loss. Finally, she laid the locket back on the tray. She rested her finger just below the locket he originally asked about.
“Definitely this locket,” She slid her finger to the other one. “But with this chain.”
“I think they come as a set,” he said.
At the same time the sales woman said, “Yes, ma’am.”
She set about making the switch and filling out a sales sheet. After Dianne helped him chose what to have engraved, he made the arrangements to pick up the necklace the next evening. When they were finally ready to leave the store, Dianne reached out and slipped her hand into his. Gage was so surprised he didn’t notice another customer reaching for the door as he did. Not noticing him either, the young girl pulled the door back and it crashed right into his hand.
* * * *
Gage’s grunt of pain was followed by some muffled curses as he tugged his hand from hers and cupped the one that had been hit by the door. Dianne reached for him to see just how bad the damage was. He pulled away, cradling his hands against his chest. The girl who had hit him was st
anding nearby, as was the lady who had waited on them.
Not comfortable with the scene he was making—thought she knew it wasn’t his fault—Dianne leaned in close to him and said, “Gage let me see how bad it is.”
He hissed and cringed as she reached forward and peeled his fingers off his injured hand. His whole hand had already started to swell. She could see that his pinky and ring fingers were also starting to bruise. Her sister had trained her in basic first aid, but she didn’t need it to know he needed to see a doctor.
“All right, let’s get you to the hospital.” She put her arm around his waist and gently propelled him through the door.
On the way to the car, she wondered how the hell she was going to get the keys out of his pocket, because he wasn’t going to be able to drive. When they reached the car she tossed her purse onto the roof. He stood there staring at her, his pain evident in the tight lines around his mouth. She had no other choice than to just bite the bullet.
“Which pocket are your keys in?” she asked, hoping he’d pull them out for her.
Gage stuck his right hip out. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and tucked her hand into his pocket and fished around until she felt the keys.
He groaned and stiffened. She stilled her hand, afraid that she was hurting him. Then he shifted his hip and she felt the real cause of his discomfort.
“Another time I would suggest you keep going, but I think you should hurry.” He gave her a smile that looked more like a grimace.
She grasped the keys with her fingertips and yanked them out of his pocket. With a press of the button, the headlights flashed and the doors unlocked. She opened the passenger door and watched as he eased himself into the seat. The seat belt was another matter. She leaned into the car and stretched herself across him. Dianne snapped the belt in place and got out as fast as she could. She tugged her cell phone from her bag as she rounded the car and pressed her sister’s number on the speed dial.
“Hey, Di, what’s up?” Her sister’s cheerful voice instantly eased her fears a little.
