Dirty at 30 (Love Without Batteries Book 1)

by Cassandra Lawson

  “That stuff will kill you,” Ty warned.

  “Don’t care,” I responded. “Did you want to look at the menu?”

  “Sure,” he said, moving across the room and standing behind me to look at the phone over my shoulder. My senses were overwhelmed by his presence. I felt the heat of his body and knew if I leaned back slightly, I’d be pressed against his firm chest. His spicy cologne teased my nostrils, and his warm breath caressed the side of my neck. It seemed to take forever for Ty to decide, making me think I was going to embarrass myself by moaning at how good it felt to be this close to him.

  After what seemed like an eternity of sensual torment, he finally made his decision, tapping the screen.

  “You’re kidding right?” I asked, staring at the awful chicken combination with loads of veggies.

  “Nope,” he replied, and I didn’t miss the raspy quality of his voice. It seemed I wasn’t the only one being tortured while Ty made his selection.

  “We should get two pizzas,” I suggested, moving away from him so I could get my mind to focus.

  “Are you really that hungry?” he asked. “I’m going to get a salad, so I won’t eat more than three slices.”

  “Pizza is a decadent treat that shouldn’t be sullied by attempts to make it healthy,” I explained. “I’m going to enjoy all those nitrates and nitrites without having them tainted by your chicken and vegetables.”

  I placed the order, somewhat embarrassed to have also been talked into ordering a salad for Ty. I had to order tuxedo cake for myself to offset Ty’s healthy choices. “I’m not sure we can continue to hang out.”

  “Why’s that?” he drawled, following me into the family room.

  “Your dubious choice of pizza toppings is clearly a sign of mental illness,” I explained. “And then you made it worse by ordering a salad. The next thing you know, you’ll be admitting to ordering chicken at a steakhouse.”

  “Sometimes I order seafood,” he stated.

  “No,” I said with a hand up. “That is just wrong. At a steakhouse, you order a steak, nothing cooked greater than medium. Ribs are also acceptable, but not chicken or seafood.”

  “I don’t eat red meat anymore,” he admitted with a sheepish grin.

  “Since when?” I gasped. Given half a chance, he and Luke would have lived on pepperoni pizza and burgers when they were teens.

  “I stopped about the same time I gave up foods with nitrates and nitrites,” he replied. “I try to eat healthy. You know what they say? You are what you eat.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that I’m spicy and exciting?” I asked.

  “Without a doubt,” he agreed, his eyes locked with mine. “You are definitely a decadent treat.”

  My cheeks heated, more from arousal than embarrassment.

  “You know, I keep wondering if this is going to be awkward because you’re Luke’s friend and you used to hang out here all the time as a teen. There are times when I expect to see you as nothing more than a kid.”

  I sat on the armchair because the only other seat was the large sofa, and I needed a little space from Ty so I wouldn’t give in to the temptation to reach out and slide my hands under his shirt to see if his abs were as toned as they appeared to be.

  “I can see why that might be awkward for you,” Ty remarked, as he sat on the sofa. “You don’t see me as a kid, though, do you?”

  “No,” I replied. “You’re very different now. Is this strange for you?”

  “Strange?” he asked and then seemed to consider his answer. “I wouldn’t say it’s strange. I’m sure it’s harder for you to wrap your mind around this situation because, like you said, I was just a kid who hung out at your house.”

  “And you saw me as your friend’s mom,” I added.

  Ty laughed and shook his head. “That is definitely not how I saw you. First, you are way too young to be Luke’s mom, so I never saw you that way.”

  “Still, I wasn’t someone you’d have considered pursuing,” I pushed, not sure why I needed to make this point.

  Ty looked down at his hands for a moment before looking across at me, and I felt caught in his gaze, unable to look away. “If I’d thought I had a chance, I would have pursued you years ago, Brook.”

  We just stared at each other. Ty seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but I had no idea how to respond. The situation was so unexpected, and I was still a little confused. Mostly, I was very turned on.

  “The papers have been served,” Ty stated.

  I nodded, unable to speak.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” he asked. “I’d say it’s because you don’t want me, but your body language tells another story.”

  He was right about me wanting him, and that was part of the reason I hadn’t called him. When he left that first day, I’d had every intention of calling him as soon as the divorce papers were served, but then I’d had time to over-think everything.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t call,” I lied, before deciding on complete honesty. “That’s not true. You make me nervous.”

  At my words, Ty looked away and settled back onto the sofa. “You don’t have to feel nervous around me, sweetheart. I’m not going to pressure you into anything you don’t want to do.”

  “So, you aren’t going to try to seduce me?” I asked, knowing I sounded disappointed.

  Ty let out a sexy chuckle before responding. “I’m definitely going to seduce you,” he assured me. “Not tonight, but some night very soon, I’m going to take you up to your room and make you come over and over again.”

  My breathing became labored as I stared at Ty, trying to remember the reasons it was a bad idea to drag him upstairs, which was a big improvement from nervous.

  “How about a movie?” Ty suggested, sounding much less affected than I was by his naughty promise.

  “Huh?” I asked.

  “How about if we watch a movie while we eat pizza?” he clarified, patting the spot on the sofa beside him to encourage me to move.

  I nodded and sat beside Ty without touching him. “That sounds like a good idea, as long as you’re not talking about one of those retched horror movies you used to watch with Luke. I still have no clue what you saw in those.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not sure why I watched them either. They always gave me horrible nightmares, but you know how guys are in their teens.”

  “Yep,” I replied. “Dumb.”

  “I should probably be offended by that, but it’s true,” he said with a laugh.

  “Movie and pizza it is,” I agreed. It seemed innocent enough, and with any luck, the movie would distract me from thoughts of running my hands all over Ty’s body. I definitely needed to stop thinking about that. When Ty slipped his arm around my shoulder, I decided pizza and a movie was not quite as innocent as I’d originally thought.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ty

  As our evening came to an end, I was having a hard time remembering the reasons I shouldn’t seduce Brook tonight. Thoughts of taking her up to her bedroom and stripping her naked so I could lick every inch of her body had been playing on a constant loop in my mind for the last hour. Having Brook pressed against my side during the movie made it very difficult to focus on anything but her, and it was seriously testing my self-control. I wanted this woman. I wanted her under me, riding me, pressed against a wall. I wanted to take her every way imaginable.

  “I had fun,” Brook began, turning off the television and moving away from me slightly.

  “I need to taste you,” I murmured, cupping her cheek in one hand.

  Brook licked her lips, looking down at her lap. “I’m afraid if I let you kiss me, things will get out of hand, and I’m not ready for that.”

  That was the reminder I needed. If I pushed things now, it might scare her off. Brook would be mine, but not tonight. I stood, mostly to give myself some distance from Brook so I could think more clearly. It was hard to think when I was touching her. “Then I’d better go before I fo
rget my reasons for not seducing you tonight.”

  Brook hesitated. “I know you’re right, and yet, there’s still this part of me that wants to ask you to stay.”

  My dick was straining at my zipper, clearly not understanding that we needed to leave. With very little effort, I could convince Brook to invite me up to her bedroom and into her body. If all I wanted was to fuck Brook, I could have her naked and under me tonight. Taking a deep breath, I struggled with my own need for this woman. She needed time, and I was going to give it to her, no matter how painful it was to do so.

  Reaching out one hand, I waited for her to take it, and when she did, I pulled her to her feet and brushed my lips against hers, lingering for a moment, tempted to pull her against my body and kiss her until she was just as aroused as I was. “Walk me to the door, sweetheart,” I uttered against her lips.

  Brook nodded and started to pull away, but I kept my hand wrapped firmly around hers, not ready to lose that contact. At the door, she gave me a shy smile. “Maybe one kiss wouldn’t hurt.”

  To hell with my good intentions. I spun her so her body was pressed against the wall before caging her in with my much larger frame, enjoying the way her eyes widened with surprise.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Brook

  Ty’s lips crashed down on mine in a kiss that stole my breath. With a hand on either side of my head, he held his weight off of me, while his lips moved against mine, hard and demanding. His tongue teased me, coaxing me to open for him, before sliding in and stroking mine. My hands reached around his back, kneading his hard muscles and moaning when he allowed his body to press against mine as he deepened the kiss. Desire raced through my body, making my nipples harden against Ty’s firm chest. Whimpering, I arched my back to get closer to Ty’s erection, and a groan rumbled from the back of his throat.

  Ty’s kiss became more frenzied, and his hands left the wall, clutching my hips to pull me closer to his erection. I moaned into his mouth, dying to touch him and to have him slide into my body. When Ty tore his mouth from mine, it was obvious ending our kiss was taking a great deal of effort on his part.

  “I have to go,” he practically growled, and it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than me. With great effort, he straightened and stepped back so I could move away from the wall. His fists clenched at his sides, he looked down at his feet, breathing heavily.

  “Do you want to stay?” I asked shyly.

  Meeting my gaze, his lips parted slightly, and he just stared at me for a moment, his inner struggle clear. “Yes. I want to stay more than you can possibly know.”

  “Then stay,” I suggested, placing one hand on his bicep and allowing it to trail down his arm.

  Ty watched my hand as it made its descent.

  “Would you have asked me to stay before I kissed you?” he asked, meeting my gaze again. “Think carefully, sweetheart, because I need to know this isn’t just lust talking. I need to know you won’t regret this.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him I definitely wouldn’t regret it, but I hesitated. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly.

  He closed his eyes and took several breaths before opening them. “Then we’ll wait. I need more than one night with you.”

  I nodded, even though I was probably going to regret letting Ty leave tonight.

  “Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I have some appointments set up to look at rentals tomorrow,” I began. “I’ll probably be busy most of the day.”

  “Are you selling the house?”

  “It’s not my house to sell,” I replied. “I’m not asking for anything in the divorce. With Rob paying the bills for the house all these years, I’ve been able to put away most of what I’ve earned, and now, I’m planning to buy a place of my own after the divorce is final. Originally, I’d planned to wait until the divorce to move, but I’m impatient to start my new life.”

  “If you have the money to buy, then why look at rentals?” he asked, sounding somewhat more in control.

  “My attorney said any property purchased during my marriage, even after Rob’s been served with papers, could complicate matters,” I replied.

  Ty nodded his understanding. “That makes sense. How long do you expect to be out looking at places tomorrow?”

  “I have four appointments, and I’m waiting to hear back on a couple more,” I explained.

  “How about if I take you to dinner after you’re done?” he suggested.

  “Like a date?” I knew my eyes were wide when I asked the question.

  Ty chuckled at my shocked expression. “Yeah, a date. Did you think I was just trying to get into your pants?”

  “Not after you refused to stay tonight. Initially, the thought had crossed my mind, but I wasn’t offended by it,” I admitted.

  “You weren’t?” he asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

  I shook my head. “Being found desirable by an attractive younger man is flattering. I suppose if you were being creepy about it, I wouldn’t like it.”

  “Got it. Younger man is good. Creepy younger man is bad,” he stated with a straight face.

  “And according to Chelsea, you’re trainable,” I teased. “I guess that’s one benefit of older women like me going after younger men like you.”

  Just like that, the teasing twinkle left his eyes, and Ty cupped my chin in one hand, brushing his thumb across my lower lip. “You’re not that much older than me.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Ty stepped back. “How about if I pick you up at six? You can always let me know if you’re running late. With any luck, we’ll be able to celebrate you finding a new place.”

  “That sounds good,” I agreed. “I’ll text you if I’m running late.”

  “Good idea,” Ty said. “That’ll be easier than me skulking outside your house until you get here.”

  “Skulking definitely falls into the creepy category,” I warned.

  Ty gave me a decisive nod. “Then it’s a good thing you decided to text me if you’re running late. Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” he murmured, before hurrying out the front door, probably not trusting his own self-control any more than I trusted mine at the moment.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ty

  I had so much pent up energy when I got home, I decided to go for a run, even though it was after nine. It was either that or I needed to jerk off in the shower a few times. Actually, I wasn’t ruling out that possibility. Just as I was about to head out the door, my phone buzzed with an incoming text. To my surprise, it was from Brook.

  BROOK: I saw an ad for a new taqueria called South of the Border. Is it just me, or does that sound like the title for a porno flick?

  I let out a startled bark of laughter. Of all the things I’d expected Brook to message me about, that hadn’t been on my list of possibilities.

  ME: We really need to get you some help for this porn obsession of yours.

  BROOK: I can’t help it if the world is full of dirty minded people.

  ME: Those are the most interesting people to be around. That’s why I can’t stay away from you, despite your secret porn addiction.

  BROOK: Are you saying I have a dirty mind?

  ME: Your mind did immediately go to porn when you read the name of that taqueria.

  BROOK: I blame you.

  ME: Me? Why would you blame me?

  BROOK: Before you walked back into my life, I wasn’t thinking about sex all the time.

  I groaned, knowing there was no way I could run now. In fact, I was tempted to head straight to Brook’s house to see if her offer to stay the night was still open, suddenly cursing myself for turning her down in the first place. After a quick mental argument with my dick, which was still not happy about leaving Brook earlier, I decided I’d done the right thing. I needed to give her more time—at least, a few dates—before we took things any further.

  I couldn’t have her tonight, but I wanted to hear her voice again, so I hit Brook’s name on my
phone and waited for her to answer, feeling like the needy bitch Luke had accused me of being on a number of occasions. Ironically, I was never needy with women. I never minded if they turned me down or wanted to end things, and I’d certainly never called just because I wanted to hear the sound of any woman’s voice.

  “Hello,” Brook answered, sounding sexy as hell.

  “Are you thinking about sex now?” I asked by way of greeting.

  “Yes,” she admitted, her voice breathy. “I wish you were here with me.”

  “Me too, sweetheart,” I murmured. “You have no idea how hard it was to walk out that door tonight.”

  “I have a good idea how hard it was,” she remarked with a teasing tone.

  I chuckled at her innuendo. “I guess you do.”

  “What are you wearing?” Brook asked, sounding shy, yet seductive at the same time.

  “What am I wearing?” I asked. Thoughts of her touching herself while I told her all the dirty things I wanted to do to her body assaulted me. She couldn’t possibly be asking what I thought she was asking.

  “Tell me,” she coaxed. “I want to be able to picture you just like you are right now.”

  “Are we doing what I think we’re doing?” I needed clarification so I didn’t end up embarrassing myself by having my dick in my hand when she only wanted to know what I was wearing.

  “What do you think we’re doing?” she asked.

  “I think I’m going to talk dirty to you. I think I’m going to tell you all the things I want to do, and while I do that, you’re going to touch yourself exactly the way I tell you to. You’re going to come hard for me. Is that what we’re doing?”

  “Yes,” she breathed out. “That’s what I want. Tell me what you’re wearing, Ty.”

  “Shorts and a tank top,” I replied. “I was getting ready to head out for a run when I got your text. I needed to run because I’ve been hard since I left your place. My dick is aching for you. What are you wearing?”