Closing the Deal (9 page)

But if she had to tell him, then he wasn’t the man for her. No matter how much she actually…
liked
him.

Hailey blinked. “Seriously? But that’s all you and your boyfriends ever do. Bonk each other.”

“That’s
boink
each other, you dumb blonde.”

“
Hey.
”

“Oh, go stuff yourself. You’re happy and engaged. I’m not getting laid and falling for a handsome guy I should have nothing to do with. We’re not even having sex and I like him. With my luck, he’ll break my heart and I’ll turn into my mother, who’s visiting next week by the way.”

“Oh man. What rotten timing.” Hailey cringed. “Want me to run interference?”

“Nah. That’s not fair to you. But thanks for asking.” Sydney had long ago resolved herself to loving but not liking her mother. She could never forgive Isabel Fields for putting her last, and oddly enough, she was okay with that. Especially since her mother had never asked for forgiveness.

Every year or so, Isabel would show up, need some Mommy-time—which equated to showing off how terrific she looked. No one ever believed Isabel had a thirty-year-old daughter. They looked more like sisters. The woman was a knockout, and she used her looks to her advantage.

Sydney tolerated her visits, mostly because she felt duty-bound to see her mother. Isabel hadn’t been abusive; she had provided Sydney with the essentials during her younger years. Besides, Isabel never stayed long, not if she had a man in her life. The woman clung to men like ivy to crumbling brick. Once the relationship died, as they always did, she reseeded herself and found a new man to leech off of.

Hailey popped her in the arm.

“Hey!”

“Stop ignoring me. Listen. I know you don’t believe me, but Derrick’s different than the other guys you’ve dated. Not just because he’s Gage’s brother. He’s a genuine person. Sure, his track record with women is spotty, but it’s a mirror image of yours with men.”

“And now she insults me.”

“Well, it’s true. You look at every guy you date like he’s one of your past
uncles
. Not only is that creepy, but none of the guys ever made you happy.” Hailey stared at her with those big eyes. “You’re not your mother, Sydney. And it’s time you realized that.”

Sydney sat up straight. “You think that’s what I’ve been doing all these years? Thinking I’m her?”

“Aren’t you? Unlike her, you don’t try to convince yourself you love any of them. You just use them for sex. But not one guy you’ve ever dated has been what I’d call nice.”

“Maybe I like bad boys.” Derrick definitely had a naughty side to him. Or at least, he used to have one.

“Can you honestly tell me you’ve ever liked anyone you’ve dated?”

“Sure. There was—”

“That you slept with,” Hailey clarified.

To her mortification, Sydney couldn’t. Not until Derrick, except he wasn’t sleeping with her anymore. Her eyes filled. “Oh my God. I’m exactly like her. I’m Isabel Fields!” Her worst fear come true.

Hailey rushed to her side and hugged her. “Stop it. You are not.”

“But Hailey, I’m a user. I’m terrible.” She hadn’t meant to treat her boyfriends like crap. But so many of them had deserved it. Maybe because she’d intentionally picked assholes?

“You’re not a user, you’re not your mother—God forbid—and you’re growing out of it.”

“Growing how? My ass? My thighs? What? Where? You think I’m gaining weight?” she joked, trying to stop feeling sorry for herself.

Hailey snorted with laughter. “You’re the vainest woman I know. Would you shut up a minute? You’re not fat. Come to think of it, you feel thinner to me.”

She groaned. “I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I think about that jerk all the time.”

“Who?”

“Derrick, Hailey. Focus, would you?”

“Oh, right. I didn’t realize he was such a jerk.”

More tears threatened to fall. “He won’t have sex with me. He’s a complete jerk…except he’s
not
. That’s what’s so awful. I made all these rules he’s actually following. We’re not supposed to date, and we aren’t. We were just supposed to get the sex out of the way. And I guess we did, but I still want him all the time. So we don’t have sex, and we hang out. And I…”

“Yeah?”

“I
like
him.” She burst into tears.

Gage chose that moment to step into the room. He took one look at them on the couch, turned around and left.

“God. N-now I’m man-repellent,” Sydney stuttered through her tears. “I’m an idiot. I don’t even know why I’m crying. But I feel so emotional lately. I think I connect with Derrick, and I’m so afraid one day he’ll just stop coming around. But I’m also afraid he might stay. Does that make sense, or am I totally crazy?”

Hailey nodded. “Oh honey. I sometimes feel the same way. It’s hard to put yourself out there. You just have to live it day in and day out. Trust yourself, then trust him.”

“Him?” She didn’t want to say his name, to admit she was in danger of falling in love with one of the Warren twins.
Oh my God!
She was falling hard for Derrick Warren with no way to stop.

“Don’t be an idiot. We’re talking about the man you’ve fallen in love with.”

Sydney felt the truth like a slap in the face when Hailey said the words. Not
falling
for.
Fallen
for. For three months she’d talked to him, falling slowly under his spell. He was sexy, had a great sense of humor, and came from a family that showed each other how much they cared. Then the sex had been perfect. Not just great, not just wow, but incredibly right. They fit each other, and he was the most unselfish lover she’d ever been with.

A man that made sure she came before he did? Unheard of. But the last two weeks had worn her down. She counted the minutes until they saw one another. The hint of a dark SUV like his made her heart jump. Receiving text messages from him thrilled her. Beck’s
Loser
had become her favorite friggin’ song.

“I hate the way I feel, all needy and lovesick,” she admitted in a quiet voice.

Hailey stroked her hair. “I know. It sucks. But look at it this way. I bet he feels the same way.”

The thought amused her, and then she felt a measure of inspiration. “You think?”

“Yep.” She glanced around again. “I’m not supposed to say anything, but I know he’s having a hard time knowing what to do with you. He even consulted his mom about you, because he was frantic to get you to talk to him. Hell, he used me too.”

“He did, didn’t he?” The knowledge that he’d gone crazy when she wouldn’t talk to him softened her up even more.

“Sydney, you’re the most confident woman I know. If you want a stable relationship with anyone, Derrick or any other guy, take back control. When I finally realized how I felt about Gage, you told me to believe in myself. Well, back at you, girlfriend. Do you think you can have a meaningful relationship with a man? Or are you just like your mother?”

“I don’t want to be like her. Most of the time, I don’t even like her. I’m a terrible person, aren’t I?”

“Not at all. I don’t like her much either. But you didn’t answer the question. Are you just like your mother? Would you ignore a friend or daughter for a man?”

“Hell no.”

“Not even for Derrick?”

If there was a man she might cling to, it was him. And yet, she’d never leave Hailey hurting or needing her just to make Derrick happy. “Not even for him.”

“Have you ever followed a man around because he’s your sugar daddy? Or do you make a comfortable living on your own? Do you have friends? Are you selfish? Are you on your sixth marriage?”

“No, no, no and no. Wait, how many questions did you ask?” She shared a teary grin with Hailey. “You always make me feel better. Well, you do when it’s not before noon.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So okay. If I want to try being a real person dating a real man, what do I do?”

Hailey shrugged. “Wake him up. Shake him up. That’s what I’d do if Gage hadn’t made love to me in a few weeks. The one time I wore this really sexy outfit, he went out of his mind.”

Sydney nodded. “I actually have a few ideas. Can I borrow that French maid costume you wore to last year’s Halloween party?”

“Oh boy.” Hailey gave her a high-five. “Derrick is not going to know what hit him tonight, is he?”

“Nope.” The time had come to prove Sydney was nothing like her mother. She liked Derrick a lot. More than a lot.

He helped people. Mentored kids at the junior college on his own time. He loved his family. A guy who knew what loyalty meant and respected women was a rarity in her world of users and losers. Hell, she’d met Barbara Warren once before. No way would that woman let her son grow up to be a chauvinist.

It was time to turn up the heat and see what Derrick was like under
real
pressure. If she had to stir his interest by showing a little skin in public and turning the tables, so be it. This time she’d play hard to get, and she’d snag him before he knew what had hit him. Sydney was a hell of a lot more than just any woman. She was a prize to be won, and it was past time she remembered that.

Time for the games to begin.

Chapter Eight

Derrick felt like an idiot wearing a pirate shirt that bared his chest and tight black trousers that clung to his thighs, but the women at the party seemed to like his costume well enough. Where the hell was Sydney? He hadn’t seen her or Hailey, come to think of it. Then he spotted Gage by the punch bowl.

The annual Halloween bash brought in tons of new clients. Warren Construction and a few other businesses provided the funds while the Conservation Center set up the decorations in their community hall. Located right on the River Walk, the place had the right atmosphere for a Halloween party. Tonight the moonlight glinted off the Savannah River while the outdoor hall remained shrouded in shadow, the dim lighting and dry ice providing the perfect environment for ghosts and ghouls to come calling.

He’d passed a ton of friends and old clients, as well as a few old girlfriends—an unavoidable happenstance in a business that networked as much as his did. He managed to shake free of most of them. And then he saw Brittney Adams heading toward him.

“Shit.” He turned and made a beeline for Dylan, who was dressed exactly the same. “Bro, I need help.”

Dylan saw Brittney and set his jaw. “My pleasure.”

While Dylan intercepted Brittney, Derrick headed for Gage. Until he spied one hot redhead wearing a French maid’s outfit. He took an unconscious step in her direction, unable to think about anything but bending her over and sinking his dick inside her. How he’d managed to keep them platonic the past few weeks still boggled his mind. Just being around her aroused him, but he’d wanted more from her than a few fucks. No matter how sexy she was or how many times she hinted she wanted to hit the sheets with him, he’d wanted to prove to her he had more going on than good game.

Which should have worked. She’d seemed to enjoy their time spent playing cards, taking walks and bowling. Hell, they’d even gone miniature golfing; the woman had beaten him without trying. They’d laughed and held hands a few times until she’d remembered not to act like a couple.

Dylan told him to bide his time. To keep it light. But Dylan hadn’t mentioned how to react to Sydney laughing it up with some muscled bozo dressed as Tarzan. No wimp, but some tall, blond dude who had his hands all over her.

Fuck that.

Derrick stormed over to the pair, pleased when Sydney’s eyes widened. If she moved the wrong way, he’d be able to see down that excuse for a costume or up that barely-there skirt. Sydney’s
friend
stood way too close.

She licked her lips. A nervous tell, and he wanted to crow with glee when she took a half step away from the half-dressed asshole still draping an arm around her shoulders.

“Sydney?” Tarzan asked, his voice questioning as he watched Derrick bearing down on them.

“Brian, I—”

The asshole client she’d mentioned, or another Brian? Either way, it didn’t matter. Derrick yanked her away from the guy and tossed her over his shoulder. People around them cheered as the buccaneer stole himself a woman.

“That’s right, little maid.” He smacked her hard on the ass, glad as hell that he’d booked a room at the hotel right next door. He’d thought about a nicer hotel, but he needed proximity to seduce and take proper advantage of her. After Gage had told him about Sydney crying all over Hailey—because of her feelings for
him
—he knew his plan had worked. He’d prepared well for tonight. The hotel, his bag of tricks, the silken scarves… His skittish lover had finally taken the bait. He just needed to reel her in. “Now you’re pirate booty. Not a word until we’re in my room, or I’ll make you walk the plank.”

He glanced behind him to see
Brian
watching him with a smile. Then Hailey and Gage were there talking to the half-dressed guy. To stop him from calling the cops or following maybe? Derrick didn’t much care. He finally had what he’d come for.

A few waves and chuckles from guests met him as he made quick time to his room. The shirt gaped at his chest and he had a fake sword on his hip. The bandana and eyepatch were great, but it was the woman over his shoulder that really completed the outfit.

To his bemusement, his captive didn’t complain much. A few grumbles, curses and shifting over his shoulder. But that was it. He entered his room on the first floor—thank God—with relish. The door closed behind them with a loud bang, and he took a few more steps inside and tossed his wench on the bed.

He placed his hands on his hips and glared down at her, no longer playing. “Who the fuck was Tarzan?”

She leaned back on her elbows and pushed her hair out of her face. He loved that gorgeous mass of red silk. He planned to see it against his belly and hips while he fucked her mouth.

“What do you care? We’re just
friends
, Derrick. Remember?”

Outraged she’d throw that bullshit back in his face after all their time spent together the past few weeks—hell, the past few
months
—he ripped the bandana and eyepatch from his face and threw them to the floor.

“Fuck that. You’re mine and you damn well know it.” He wasn’t sure how she did it, but she made him forget himself when he was with her. All he could think about was Sydney—as a lover, a mate, a person he loved spending time with.