Playing Dirty: San Diego Social Scene Book 3

Home > Other > Playing Dirty: San Diego Social Scene Book 3 > Page 9
Playing Dirty: San Diego Social Scene Book 3 Page 9

by Tess Summers


  She hadn’t decided what, if anything, she was going to tell her sibling about Luke right now. Brenna had been Team Luke since introducing the two on New Year’s Eve, and Cassie didn’t want to get her sister’s hopes up unnecessarily until she had a better idea of where this was headed. She also didn’t want to jinx it by talking about how good things were going between them. Maybe it would be best not to mention anything yet. Inevitably, she would spill her guts if her big sister started questioning her.

  She took too long on her walk with Zona, so she was running behind and didn’t notice the autocorrect on her phone had altered her text message to Luke. Instead of Good morning! I hope you had sweet dreams, the text was changed to Good morning! I hope you had sweaty dreams. She didn’t even realize she’d done it until he responded around lunchtime with:

  Sgt Studly: While even in my dreams you get my heart pumping, there was no sweat when I woke up. Maybe you can make me sweaty when I see you again.

  Cassie: OMG! Stupid autocorrect! I meant SWEET! LOL

  Sgt Studly: Darn. I liked the idea of getting sweaty.

  She responded with the eye roll emoji he had sent her previously.

  Sgt Studly: When are you available to not get sweaty then?

  Cassie: Well, I could get a *little* sweaty with you tonight? You get off work at 7?

  She found herself disappointed he didn’t respond again and experienced an unusual feeling of insecurity he didn’t want to see her later. The idea of a man not wanting to see her had never bothered her before.

  He didn’t text back until she was walking to her car in the late afternoon on her way to Brenna’s. By then, she’d changed his name on her phone again.

  SWAT Hunk: Sorry I didn’t reply sooner, was called to a scene. Tonight works. You want to meet somewhere around 8:30?

  Cassie: How about my condo? I’ll have dinner ready.

  SWAT Hunk: I’ll be there at 8:30. Text me your address.

  She had a stupid grin on her face the whole drive to Brenna’s, and try as she might, she couldn’t stop smiling as she walked into her sister’s house. Brenna and Ron were still in their honeymoon bliss, so Cassie thought they were oblivious as she packed her things and took them to her car. Things changed when she came back inside and sat down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island.

  It was her new brother-in-law who, with his arm on the back of his wife’s chair, tilted his head and looked at her knowingly.

  “Whatcha smiling about, Cass?”

  She pursed her lips. “Am I smiling? I’m not smiling. How did you guys like touring the coast in the ‘Vette?”

  “It was great. Travis was diligent about the maintenance and took really good care of her; she still drives like a dream.” His knowing look turned into a knowing smirk. The lieutenant general was not going to let her get away with changing the subject. “So, I was sitting on the couch when we got home, looking for the remote, and happened to find this in one of the cushions. Know anything about it?” He produced a bullet from his pocket.

  Cassie swallowed hard as she weighed her options about what to tell them. Pulling her shoulders back, she plucked the ammunition from Ron’s fingers.

  “Oh, that’s where I left that.” She knew she wasn’t fooling anyone, but she wasn’t ready to talk about Luke yet.

  Ron winked and said, “That’s a pretty high caliber for you. I pegged you as more of a twenty-two kind of girl.”

  She had no idea what he was talking about, and both he and Brenna knew it.

  She shrugged with an innocent half-smile. “Looks can be deceiving.”

  Brenna started to sputter, “What is going…”

  Cassie shot them both a look that said, drop it, and Ron whispered something in his wife’s ear. A smile spread across her sister’s face, but Brenna didn’t say anything more on the subject.

  “Oh, I almost forgot! We got you something!” Brenna squealed and jumped from the stool to race to the garage. She returned with a bottle of wine and presented it to Cassie. “It’s from our favorite winery we stayed at. We actually got you a case, but I didn’t want to lug the whole thing in.”

  Cassie examined the label. “I can’t wait to try it. Maybe I’ll have some with dinner tonight,” she said as she placed the bottle on the counter.

  Brenna caressed her husband’s cheek with a tender smile while speaking directly to Cassie. “It’s not something you should drink alone.”

  Ron leaned down to murmur against his bride’s lips, “Definitely not,” before kissing her soundly. The two obviously were caught up in an idyllic memory the wine had spurred. Hopefully, it would reap the same results for Cassie tonight when she served it to Luke.

  “Ahem. Okay, lovebirds, I have to get going.” She grabbed the bottle off the counter and started toward the door.

  “Wait! Let Ron put the case in your trunk.”

  The garage door started to rumble open as Cassie popped the latch on her trunk and waited. Ron easily carried the crate to her car, securing it once he set it in so it wouldn’t slide around. He closed the trunk and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thanks for taking care of Zona,” he said as he walked her to the driver’s door and opened it for her. She was in her seat, the seatbelt fastened when he said smugly, “Tell Luke we said hi,” then closed the car door before she could respond.

  The glare she gave him as he stepped back when she started the car was more in jest than authentic, and she hoped her narrowed eyes conveyed, You think you’re so smart.

  The smirk on her brother-in-law’s face seemed to answer her dirty look with a silent, Yep, I do.

  Her scowl turned into a smile, and she blew him a kiss as she pulled out of the beach house drive. She knew there would be more questions in her future from Ron and Brenna about Luke, but she would worry about that later.

  ****

  Luke

  He arrived at Cassie’s condo at eight-fifteen. He hadn’t been sure how long it would take to get there, so he allowed himself some extra time, just in case. He definitely didn’t want to be late. He was glad her condominium wasn’t any farther from his house than Brenna’s beach house.

  He pulled up to a modern high-rise, exactly the type of building he imagined she would live in. The lobby was sleek and stylish with lots of stainless steel and leather, fitting for the professionals he envisioned as Cassie’s neighbors. The doorman greeted him warmly when Luke gave his name, telling him Cassie had already called down to say she was expecting him and to please send him up.

  Luke got on the elevator and pressed the button for the thirty-sixth floor like the doorman had instructed. The lift rose so quickly, his ears popped, and in what seemed like no time, the doors were opening. He looked to the metal sign on the wall for the direction of Apartment J. Of course, she would have a corner unit.

  It didn’t look like she’d changed out of her work clothes when she opened the door immediately after he knocked as if she were waiting by the door for him. That made him feel good, like she was anxious to see him. The feeling was mutual.

  He slid his arm around her pencil-skirted waist and whispered, “Hi, doll,” before kissing her softly. Her lips tasted sweet, like red wine, and he lingered at them longer than he had initially intended. He smirked when he pulled away to find her eyes still closed as if in a trance.

  Yeah, I’m that good.

  “How was your day?”

  His question brought her back to reality, and she slowly opened her eyes with a smile.

  “I had a good day. Really busy, but productive. Plus, I got to see Brenna and Ron, and now, I’m having dinner with you.”

  She led him by the hand from the entry down a short hall, her heels clicking on the wooden floor and pushed on a door leading to the sleek galley kitchen with grey cabinets, quartz counters, and dark stainless-steel appliances. Wonderful smells of something cooking greeted him when they walked through the swinging door. She gestured to the bottle of wine sitting on the counter next to one half-ful

l and one empty wine glass and began to pour when he indicated he’d like some.

  “Ron and Brenna brought a case of this back from Napa Valley, so I hope you like it because there’s no way I can drink a whole case all by myself.”

  He brought the glass to his nose, then swirled the liquid around before slurping obnoxiously. He’d gone to a workshop at a winery once with a girl he had dated before Adriana, so he sort of knew what he was doing. Enough to impress the ladies, anyway.

  Usually.

  The bored look on Cassie’s face indicated that was not currently the case.

  “Do you like it or not?”

  That brought a smile to his lips. He loved how unaffected she was by a lot of things most women would be impressed with. “It’s really good.”

  “I think so, too. Dinner should be ready in…” She glanced at the timer on the oven. “Thirty minutes, but there are appetizers in the living room to start with.”

  “It smells delicious. What is it?” He tried to peek through the oven window with little luck.

  “It’s a casserole of some kind.” She bit her bottom lip as if embarrassed. “I can’t take credit for it. My housekeeper, Kristen prepares and freezes a few meals a week for me. All I have to do is put it in the oven when I get home.”

  She picked up her wine glass and started back toward the swinging door. He followed her into a modern living room with plush, light grey carpet and black and white leather furniture facing floor to ceiling windows on two of its walls. The view of the city was impressive.

  He walked over and looked down. “Wow, Cass. This is beautiful.”

  She stood beside him and took in the view with him. “I think this is what I’ll miss the most about living here.”

  They silently held their wine glasses, watching the city life move about below-the glass catching their reflection from the hued lighting of the recessed lamps. Luke slid his arm around Cassie’s waist and kissed her temple.

  “Why are you moving?”

  She took a sip of the red wine before answering. “It’s time. I’m ready for a house. Something a little bigger with more privacy and not as many restrictions. The building is in high demand, so I should be able to sell quickly and make a decent profit. Now, I need to find my dream house, which is proving to be easier said than done.”

  “Well, you’re fortunate you can take your time and wait to get exactly what you want.”

  She tilted her head and looked at him a long time. “Some things are worth waiting for.”

  He didn’t miss the double entendre. Staring into her eyes, he pushed her hair behind her ear.

  “You’re absolutely right. You’ll know when it’s meant to be.”

  Right then, he knew.

  She was meant to be his.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Luke

  Cassie’s housekeeper was an excellent cook. Dinner was as good as he’d had at any five-star restaurant. He was elbows deep in sudsy water at the kitchen sink, sleeves rolled up and his big, silver watch temporarily sitting on the counter when she let out a gasp.

  “I completely forgot to come up with questions to ask you tonight!”

  “Me too,” he smiled. “We’re fired. I guess we’ll have to wing it.”

  “Actually… We could cheat. I saw something in one of my magazines.” Her voice faded as she began to rummage through what looked to be a stack of mail on the small desk off the side of the breakfast nook. She pulled a magazine from the pile and started flipping through it while he dried his hands on a dish towel.

  “I think this was it.” She stopped on a page and scowled.

  He snatched the magazine from her hands and raised an eyebrow when he read the article’s title, How Sexually Compatible Are You? He was grinning when he looked over at her.

  “Oh, yes, we have to do this.” Clearing his voice, he started

  “Question number one: How do you feel about kissing?

  A) It’s overrated, but okay in moderation

  B) Keep your mouth to yourself

  C) I can’t get enough.”

  They looked at each other. Based on the last week together, each knew the other’s answer, and she giggled when they said in unison, “C.” He handed the magazine back to her.

  “You read the next one.”

  She scanned the pages, looking for where he left off and cleared her throat.

  “Question Two: Preferred form of birth control.

  A) Condoms only

  B) The pill or other form of hormonal regulation

  C) Spermicide

  D) A combination of condoms and another form

  E) Pull out and pray.”

  He paused, waiting to see how she answered first.

  With some hesitation, she responded, “Well, I’m on the pill, so probably D.”

  Luke nodded in agreement although he wouldn’t mind going bareback with her. He’d need to show her his recent test results first. It was his turn to read the next question, which segued nicely into that.

  “Question Three: Do you get tested for STDs?

  A) Yes, regularly

  B) Yes, periodically or if I have a reason to be concerned

  C) No, but I should

  D) No, it’s not necessary, I’m monogamous or celibate.”

  She was now the one who paused to see how he was going to respond. He knew his expression was pained when he answered.

  “Well, it used to be D, but now it’s A.

  “Were you monogamous or celibate? What happened that it’s no longer D?”

  Her question was natural, given his response, still, he didn’t want to talk about it, so his voice was gruff when he replied, “Monogamous. Then, she kind of destroyed me, and, uh, I no longer did monogamous.” He hoped that was enough to satisfy her.

  Cassie frowned, opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally, she said quietly, “Luke, I’m so sorry.”

  He looked down at the quartz counter and shook his head. “I didn’t handle it very well.” By not handling it very well, he meant, he had a lot of anonymous hookups, hence the regular testing and condoms.

  She leaned over, put a hand on one of his cheeks and kissed the other. Normally, he hated people’s sympathy, but he found hers comforting.

  “I’m over it.” Luke grasped her hand and gave a gentle smile. “I learned my lesson.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She narrowed her eyes as she withdrew her hand from his.

  He needed to steer the conversation back to fun and sexy.

  “So, what about you, baby doll? How often do you get tested?” He knew she understood what he was doing, and her expression was a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

  “Well, I always get tested with my yearly physical, but since I haven’t been in a committed relationship in a while, I get tested more frequently even though I’m always careful.”

  A pang of jealousy hit him. He didn’t know if it was because of the idea of her being in a committed relationship with someone else or that she slept with other people. What did he expect? Her to wait for him to take her virginity? The caveman in him had to admit, the thought was appealing. But he also appreciated she seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

  He motioned for her to continue reading.

  She read the question silently, then blushed. He had to nudge her to ask it out loud.

  “How do you feel about oral sex?

  A) I’ll pass

  B) I’d rather give than receive

  C) I’d rather receive than give

  D) Giving and receiving are essential.”

  She had glanced nervously at him in between each letter choice, which only served to make him more curious, so he stood silently, waiting for her to respond. She smiled and hesitated. God, he hoped it wasn’t A or C. He still ended up not liking her answer.

  “B.”

  Oh, no, baby doll, that’s not going to work. He was going to be face first between those thighs of hers the second their eleventh date
started.

  “D,” he said a little more sternly than he’d meant to. “Mind telling me why you’d rather give than receive?”

  She shrugged, squirming a little and looking away. “I don’t know. I guess I always worry about…”

  He cut her off by gripping her chin so she had no choice but to look at him before she had a chance to finish her thought.

  “Let’s get one thing perfectly clear, Cass. I will be licking your pussy, and I will be licking it often because I love to, and when I’m licking your pussy, you will not be worrying about a fucking thing other than coming before I say you can. Do you understand?”

  Her eyes were wide, and at first, he was worried he’d revealed too much, too soon. Then he saw the goose pimples on her flesh and her stiff nipples. She still hadn’t answered him though, so he asked again.

  “Do you understand?”

  She licked her bottom lip, and her pupils dilated slightly.

  “I understand,” she whispered.

  Oh yeah, they were going to work out just fine.

  It was Luke’s turn to read.

  “Question Five: Favorite position?

  A) Missionary

  B) Cowgirl

  C) Doggie Style

  D) Reverse Cowgirl

  E) Standing

  F) Spooning

  G) Other.”

  They seemed to be alternating reading and answering first, so it was on him to respond. He chuckled. “Well, I like them all, but my favorite isn’t listed.”

  She raised her eyebrows in encouragement for him to continue.

  “It’s kind of a combination between F and C. You’ll be lying on your stomach, but not on all fours.” He could tell she was trying to picture it. The look on her face told him she wasn’t convinced. “Let’s try it before you pass judgment,” he advised with a wink.

  That brought a smile to her face.

 
-->

‹ Prev