Not Just Friends (Brookfield)

by Wolfe, Lacey

  “You really want to know?”

  “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.” He needed to know how much competition this man might be.

  “Things were serious between us at one time. I actually thought we might get married. But one evening I came by his place unexpectedly and on his front porch, found him kissing someone else.”

  He’d cheated on her? “I’m so sorry. What a dirtbag.”

  Alyssa giggled. “It gets worse. If you remember me telling you about my sister who doesn’t live in town. It was her.”

  “What? Your sister?”

  “Yes, Diane didn’t do it because she wanted him. She and I had a fight and she did it to hurt me.”

  He couldn’t believe his ears. How could someone’s own family member do that? “Why did he kiss her? He was with you.”

  “At first I wasn’t mad, just hurt. I knew she had set out to do it and he was her victim. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized if it hadn’t been her, it could’ve been someone else.” She paused to take a sip of her drink. “Believe me, I know temptation happens. And sometimes you make a mistake. But the body language between them was what I couldn’t get over. If you know you shouldn’t be kissing someone, there is no reason to have them pressed against your front door, hands all over them. I couldn’t move past that, so things ended.”

  “The nerve of him showing back up.” Connor shook his head.

  “It was shocking, I must admit.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Thanks for acting like we were an item.”

  Acting? The word stung. He had to clear this up.

  “Though, he’s probably scratching his head, wondering how in the world I attracted someone like you.” She laughed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We’re nothing alike. I’m plain and you’re, well, you’re gorgeous.”

  “You’re beautiful, Alyssa.” In fact, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her beauty wasn’t on the outside, but the inside as well.

  Her cheeks turned red again. He hoped maybe he’d made a breakthrough with her as she stared back at him. But they were interrupted by the waitress as she brought them their meals. Perfect timing.

  * * * *

  Alyssa’s heart raced. Dinner was almost over and she was doing her best to not jump out of her seat with excitement. He kept touching her, smiling, complimenting. It was so hard not to think he wasn’t interested in her.

  Setting her fork down, she decided she was stuffed. She’d overeaten even as she tried to contain herself.

  “That was good,” she said.

  “Very much.”

  The waitress took their plates and set a black leather folder containing the bill on the table. Alyssa reached out to take it, but Connor beat her to it.

  “What are you doing?” she protested.

  “Getting our dinner.” He winked.

  “No, no, no. I’m pretty sure this week is on me.”

  He leaned across the table and said in a low and sexy tone, “Call me old-fashioned, but I believe a man should always pay for dinner.”

  “Yes, if it’s a date.”

  “It is.”

  Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip, not sure what to say. She watched as he placed his credit card in the holder. The waitress was back shortly to whisk it away. They didn’t speak during that time and she was glad. She wasn’t sure she could form any words.

  After he signed the receipt, he stood and held his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her up. He didn’t release her, but instead, walked in front of her, gently pulling her along with him. Outside, he led her to his car. She expected him to open the door and looked forward to the few seconds alone, but instead, he spun around, wrapped a hand around her waist, and captured her lips with his.

  It started soft and sensual. Which was good. Alyssa wasn’t sure she was breathing because she could not believe she was standing in a parking lot kissing Connor. But then, his tongue slipped into her mouth and every coherent thought left her. All she could do was enjoy. He was a pro at kissing. And she wished like hell they could explore this a little further, but going to jail for indecent exposure probably wasn’t the best way to end a date.

  Date. This was a real date!

  Connor pulled away much too quickly, but held her close, his gaze locked on hers. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

  Alyssa nodded.

  Connor grinned. “You really stroke my ego. You make me feel like I kissed you speechless.”

  You have.

  He unlocked her door and opened it. Now she had to get her legs to work. After she was finally tucked away in his car, she let out a loud sigh and a slight giggle before he joined her. He didn’t say anything, just pulled his car out of the parking spot and headed back toward her place, which wasn’t far. But in the time they drove, Alyssa was positive when they got reached her apartment, she was inviting him in and do her best to seduce him. After all, she was wearing very sexy panties underneath. Why not let him see them as well?

  When he parked, she was relieved to see Matt was gone. It would have been awkward if he wasn’t.

  “Do you want to come up?” she asked.

  Connor smiled. “I’ll walk you up.”

  He climbed out and came around to help her out of the car. Her heart raced with anticipation. As they climbed the stairs, she pulled her keys from her purse. She started to unlock the door. She pushed the door open and turned toward him, ready to pounce.

  “I had a nice time,” he said.

  “Me too. But it’s not over yet.” She winked at him.

  Connor leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. She noticed then he’d put some distance between them. “I don’t want to rush things. I think it’s best if I don’t come inside.”

  She wasn’t going to cry. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “Okay.” She glanced down at her feet then back up at him. “You sure?”

  “No.” He chuckled. “But I’m going to go anyway. Goodnight, Alyssa.”

  She nodded, not saying anything, and let her gaze follow him as he descended the stairs. She sighed and went inside. Zoe greeted her as usual. She picked the cat up, turned on a light, and plopped down on the couch. What had just happened? Did he not mean to kiss her and lead her on? She wasn’t sure what to think. Part of her wanted to cry, but the other half was giddy that she’d kissed him.

  At this point, she knew they couldn’t go back to being friends. Friends didn’t kiss the way she and Connor had.

  Chapter Seven

  “Dude, what do you mean you don’t want to go out? We can’t go without you. We’re a team,” Jay complained when Connor told him he wasn’t going out with the guys that night.

  “I’ve got work and things to do.”

  “Whatever. Your loss then.” Stan leaned against the wall. “It’s been a hell of a week. I can’t wait to pound out my frustration.”

  Jay laughed. “Same here. Maybe a redhead tonight.”

  Connor rolled his eyes, realizing he usually sounded the same way. “I don’t want to hold you guys up.”

  “I still can’t believe you’re not coming. You didn’t come out with us last weekend either. You had some lame excuse then as well.” Jay walked toward Connor’s door. “You’re not seeing someone, are you?”

  Connor shook his head. He wasn’t officially seeing Alyssa, even though he wanted to be. And Connor wasn’t ready to tell his friends about her anyway.

  Stan shrugged. “See ya.”

  Connor gave a slight wave and relief washed over him once they were gone. He decided to play a video game for a little while and maybe pop over and surprise Alyssa. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he wasn’t interested, since he hadn’t gone inside the night before. But he knew if he had, they would’ve wound up naked and sweaty in her sheets. As much as he wanted that, he wanted to establish something between them first. Get a solid path started before sex entered the picture.

  At the frid
ge, he took out a can of soda and headed for his man cave. He plopped down on the couch, grabbed a video game controller, and decided to let the game begin. In a few weeks the new version of this game was coming out. He’d pre-ordered it already—of course. Connor had also scheduled a few days of vacation so he could devote his time to winning the game.

  Sure, some would frown upon that, but he worked hard and never took his vacation until a new game released. He’d veg out on the couch for a few days, get rested up, and return to work ready to take on the world. Or at least the stock market.

  * * * *

  Alyssa warmed her meal as she always did. Maybe her brother was right. Perhaps it would be healthier if she ate anything other than these microwavable meals. But they were so darn convenient. She shrugged and waited for it to cook.

  She’d sat down that day and talked with the girl she’d hired about working a little more. Alyssa needed more time off. She couldn’t be at the shop all the time. And the first step to not being a workaholic was to delegate work. So tonight, she was letting Tina close. Alyssa wasn’t fooling herself though. She knew once the girl left, she’d run down there and check everything. However, if Tina did it right, she wouldn’t have to double check again.

  The microwave dinged and Alyssa pulled the tray out. She got a fork and pot holder, and carried everything over to her small table. After removing the lid, she stirred the white sauce with the noodles.

  A knock sounded from the door that led to the bookstore. Maybe Tina required some help. Alyssa pushed her chair back and went to see what was needed. But when she opened the door, she didn’t expect to see Matt there.

  “Uh, hi.”

  “Can I come in?” he asked.

  Was that a good idea? Alyssa chewed on her bottom lip a moment then stepped back, letting him enter. “I was eating. Was there something you needed in the store?”

  “Nope. You know I don’t read.”

  How could she forget? He always picked on her when she spent an entire day with a book in her hand. “Oh, well, I assumed since you came from that way that this was book related.”

  He chuckled. “Nah, I came by to see you so we could finish talking about why I came by last night.”

  Alyssa sat back down at the table. “You talk. I’m going to eat.”

  “Have you given any thought to what I said?”

  She slid the fork from her mouth. “No, not really.”

  “I’m disappointed. I had hoped you’d at least thought about it. It took a lot for me to come back.”

  Alyssa smirked. He always thought of himself first. He didn’t care that he’d seen her with a man the night before. “I’m seeing someone.”

  “He’s a little out of your league, isn’t he?”

  Why did everyone keep saying that? Perhaps it was because they didn’t know the real Connor. The one she did. He’d shared a side of him with her that no one else knew about. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “I didn’t mean anything mean by it. It’s just he sends off a certain persona. And you’re, well, you’re Alyssa. Down-to-earth bookworm who rarely wears more than a light layer of powder on your face.”

  “Yeah, I got it. He’s handsome and I’m plain. You’re not the first one to mention it.”

  Matt shrugged. “Anyway, I really am sorry about what happened with Diane. We never really got to talk about it and what happened that night.”

  “I caught you on your front porch. You had my sister pressed against the door and your tongue in her mouth. What else is there to say?”

  “I didn’t expect it. The kiss came out of nowhere.”

  “I’ll give you that. But, like I told you before, you wanted it. If someone had kissed me while I was seeing you, I seriously doubt my hands would’ve been all over him with my legs wrapped around his waist. I would’ve been stiff as a board, hands at my side, in shock. Unless I had wanted it as well.”

  Matt raked his hands through his blond hair. “I’ve apologized until my face turned blue. I’m not anymore. Let’s move past this.” He scooted his chair closer and took her hand. “We were good together. Come on, we can be again.”

  Alyssa gazed into eyes. She licked her bottom lip, but not to prepare herself for a kiss. Matt however took it as a sign and leaned toward her. She pushed back, almost falling out of the chair. “Matt, no.”

  He still held her hand with an almost death-grip. She tried to yank free, but he gripped tighter.

  “You’re hurting me. Stop.”

  “I want you.”

  “Well, you’re not going to get me this way. Now let go!” she demanded.

  “One kiss. That’s all I want, and if you don’t feel anything, I’ll walk away—forever.”

  Alyssa hesitated but then wondered if it was all she could do to get him to leave. Matt pulled her close to him again, bringing her body into his. She felt sick touching him. His lips were inches from hers. She held her breath and braced herself.

  “What’s going on?” A male voice sounded from behind Matt.

  The distraction was all she needed. She pulled away from Matt and saw Connor there. Oh crap!

  Matt spun around. “Hey, dude, what’s up?”

  Connor crossed his arms. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “Yeah,” Matt answered.

  Connor’s focus was on Alyssa. She knew she was white as a ghost. She couldn’t find the words, but she shook her head, hoping Connor would see through what had just happened.

  “I think you should leave,” Connor said, looking at Matt.

  Alyssa let out a sigh of relief and pushed her way past Matt and over to Connor, who put his arm around her. “Go, Matt.”

  Matt flung the chair into the table and stomped past them. She waited for him to say something ugly, but instead, he exited toward the bookstore. Alyssa inhaled deeply then leaned against Connor.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Fine.”

  “Is there anything you need to tell me? Things looked rather heated when I came in. I thought I heard you holler when I was in the store, but it didn’t look like you were in distress when I rushed in.”

  “He said if I let him kiss me and I didn’t feel anything, then he’d leave me alone.” Alyssa glanced up at Connor, seeing his jaw tighten. “I didn’t want to.”

  Connor was quiet. He walked away from her and paced her small dining area. “You should tell your brother about him. Let him know what’s going on. Maybe he can have a talk with him.”

  “I’m sure he’s harmless.”

  “You can never be certain.”

  She smiled. “You forget I was involved with him for over a year. He couldn’t even kill a spider.”

  Connor groaned. “You’re not a spider. And jealousy can make someone do something stupid.”

  “I can agree with that.” She sat back down and thought about eating more of her dinner. “What brings you by?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “Oh, really? Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Connor rubbed his face and then sat down at the table with her. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t upset over last night.”

  Oh, when he made it clear he didn’t want to have sex with her. “Why would I be upset?”

  “I did want to, you know.”

  Alyssa reached out and took his hand. “I understand.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes, we’re friends. And you don’t want to ruin it. The kiss was a mistake. I get it.”

  She let go of his hand and pushed back from the table. Taking her now-cold dinner, she tossed it in the trash as she willed the tears away. The kiss wasn’t a mistake for her. It had been right and perfect. But there was no way she could hear those words from him first.

  Alyssa removed a bottle of water from the fridge and then spun around. She gasped. Connor was right there. Close. He took a step toward her.

  “That kiss was not a mistake.”

  The thumping in her chest picked up. Bef
ore she had a moment to think, he yanked her to him and kissed her hard. In her shock, she dropped the water bottle on the floor, but then wrapped her hands around his neck.

  Chapter Eight

  Connor was not going to let Alyssa go on thinking they were just friends. Damn it! He wanted a heck of a lot more than a friendship with this woman. And he planned to kiss her until she got it through her thick skull. Because, apparently, the advances he had been making so far hadn’t clicked yet.

  And after seeing that guy here again, it was now or never to make his claim on her. Alyssa was his. Mine. Mine. Mine. And he wasn’t going to share her.

  Reaching down, he lifted her by her butt. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he set her on the counter. The kiss was sloppy, but he didn’t care. He had to have her. Taste her. Breaking the kiss, his lips trailed down her neck, to her collar bone. Alyssa arched her body, leaning her head back. Man, this woman was a goddess and she had no idea.

  He was harder than a rock and craved to be inside her. While he knew he wasn’t about to take it that far—he hoped—he did want to explore.

  Her breathing picked up as his tongue swirled around her earlobe. He gripped her face, bringing it to his. She gazed back at him and he once again claimed her lips.

  “Oh God,” she moaned.

  Connor let one of his hands drift down and caress her belly, slowly bringing it up to her breasts. He let his thumb rub over her nipple and he was satisfied to find it hard.

  “Connor,” she whispered.

  The sound of his name escaping her lips about sent him over the edge. It was music to his ears.

  Out of nowhere, it was as though he lit a fire in her. She was greedy and taking him. She clutched his ass and one hand came around front to his erection.

  “Ah,” he groaned.

  Her grip was tight as she stroked him. He had to get her to stop. He pulled his body back, but she didn’t allow him to move away. Oh God, if she pumped him one more time—shit!

  Connor yanked his body away from her, embarrassed at what had just happened. He wasn’t a fucking fifteen-year-old boy.