Fireworks: A Holiday Bad Boy Romance (16 page)

"You know, we don't have to see
Ghost
tonight. We can see the new
thriller that just came out, or there was a scary movie.”

"Are you kidding me?" He reached
for a chip from the basket that sat between us. "I fucking love that
movie. It's in my top five."

"
Ghost?
No way. I don't believe that. It's the ultimate-”

"Chick-flick. I know." He
shrugged and gave me a sexy smile. "I love those things, just don't tell
anyone about it, alright?"

"Really? No way."

"Yes way. Guess what my very favorite
movie is. It's not really a chick-flick, but it comes pretty close." His
expression softened a little, and the cocky guy across the table from me turned
into a handsome man I wanted to know.

"
Dirty
Dancing
?" I couldn't help but chuckle after saying it.

"That's number four. Number one is
Grease
. God, I love that movie so much.
I have three copies from wearing it out." He laughed before giving me a
stern look. "You promise you'll not tell the guys? You know I'd never hear
the end of that shit."

"Yeah. I promise." I reached for
a chip and let out a soft sigh. He was going to win me over whether I wanted
him to or not.

Chapter 17

Brody

I wasn't sure she could have been any more
beautiful than she was sitting across from me with the sun setting behind her.
My heart was racing in my chest, so much so that a light sheen of sweat covered
my hands and forehead. It was almost embarrassing.

"Alright. Tell me what your plans are
now that you're out of college. What's next for you?" I sat the menu down
and turned my full attention onto her. While getting her into bed would have
been a great ending to the night, I was pretty sure she wasn't going to let
that happen just yet. Besides, I had to discern if I was friend-zoned or if my
deflating ego was making shit up. I hadn't slept with anyone in a couple of
days, and it was almost shocking how much I attuned my worth to how women saw
me and treated me.

"I'm actually staying here in
Arizona. I'm going to work for my parents for a while and then start law school
either in the fall or the spring." Her voice softened in a way that made
me want to push the conversation. She was being humble or maybe was unhappy
about the next steps in her life. I wanted to know which it was.

"And, you're thrilled about that? I
can totally tell. Riveted, right?" I smiled as she sat back in her chair
and gave me a weak smile.

"Can't we start with something easier
like 'what's your favorite color?'" Her smirk was precious and drew me in.
I couldn't remember sitting across from a girl and not thinking about how well
her tits filled up her shirt or pondering on the color of her panties. Where I
could have easily done that with Cora, I wanted a real conversation...a
friendship, of sorts.

"You wouldn't want that conversation.
We're not on a real date from what you said, so no pretenses. Just two new
friends hanging out, right?" I offered her another out, hoping she
wouldn't take it, but knowing it was the right thing to do nevertheless.

"I guess you're right about the
conversation." She ignored my comment about the friend date, leaving me
still standing in the dark on her feelings. The kiss a few days before had been
delicious and left me thinking she was ready for a little more where we were
concerned, but now, I wasn't so sure.

"So, tell me why you're not looking
so happy at the idea of becoming a lawyer. That's a big deal. Loads of money,
prestige."

"Yeah, and every minute of my life
becomes about my career. That's not at all who I am." She shrugged and
picked up her menu. "Share the fajitas with me. The smallest platter is
still way too much food for me."

"Sure, whatever you want." I
picked up my glass of water and glanced up as the server approached. Cora
ordered for us, and I added in my beer order before turning back to her.

"So why are you going to law school,
and what do you want to do with your life if not that?" I sat back, trying
to remember the last time I had a real conversation with a woman. I couldn't
place it. Not even with my mom or sister. It was odd. Had I really grown that
shallow?

"It's my mom and dad's dream for me
to work in a firm like they do. It's actually their firm that they want me to
work in." She licked at her lips, and my eyes moved down to focus on them
again as she finished talking. I missed the whole last part of her response
thanks to the memory of our kiss rolling over me.

She chuckled, and I came to.

"What?" I asked before reaching
up and taking my beer from the server.

"You're not listening anymore, are
you?" Her eyebrow lifted as she gave me a cocky grin.

"Yeah, I am." I pressed the beer
to my lips as her smile lifted to her eyes, captivating me.

"No, you're not. You ass. You faded
off into a daydream." She pressed her arms to the table and lifted her
eyebrow at me. Her position had her dark hair brushing over her exposed,
sun-kissed shoulders and left her cleavage on full view. My mouth started to
water.

"I did, you're right. I was reliving
that kiss the other night. It's been a long time since I've panted over a three
second make out session." I smiled, hoping to catch her off guard.

"Was it three seconds? Felt like
forever." She shrugged and diverted her eyes from me as she picked up
another chip. "You're turn. What are you doing after this summer?"

"I don't know." I ran my fingers
through my hair, struggling with the truth versus what I figured she would want
to hear. Just friends, right? "I want to be a coach, but the time and
energy involved in that is massive. I figure there aren't too many women in the
world that would be interested in marrying a man who followed his heart into a
low-paying, time-demanding job."

"I'm thinking there are a few that
would. You just need to find one that supports you and your dreams." She
tilted her head a little to the side, studying me.

"Are you that kind of girl,
Cora?" I picked up another chip, watching various expressions run across
her face. I was teasing her more than trying to dissect her, but I'd let her
take the conversation wherever she wanted to. I was just glad to be there with
her.

"I don't know. I think I would be.
I'm more the type of person that wants everyone around me to find success more
than I want to find it myself." She moved back as the fajitas were delivered.
"Wow, that was fast."

"This place is the best. Clay and I
sneak up here from time to time and grab one of those big-as-your-face
burritos. Daniel would counsel us for an hour over the amount of salt and
cholesterol on those things."

She laughed and picked up the tortillas,
offering me one. "Seems like a great group of friends you have."

"It is." I started to put my
fajita together as I snuck glances at her. "We've been friends for a long
time, me and Clay since we were in elementary school. He's a great guy. I'm
glad him and Emily hit it off. He's been in a bit of a dry spell lately."

"Is he planning on going anywhere
after the summer?" She dipped her spoon into the sour cream, dropped the
white cream on her plate and slid the spoon into her mouth.

My body tightened painfully, leaving me
fully aware that of all the woman I'd been around in the last few months, she
was by far the one I wanted to explore the most.
Fuck.

"No, he's going to stay here." I
licked the cheese off my fingers as I tried not to get my dinner all over my
shirt. "How about Emily?"

"She's staying here, too. She'll be
taking her masters and then doctorate at Arizona State." She took a big
bite of her fajita and closed her eyes, moaning loudly. The sound of her
finding pleasure shot an arrow of desire through the center of me. I wanted to
hear it again and again.

"Good. Then maybe we'll be in each
other's lives for a long time." I took a big bite, wanting to moan loudly
myself, but holding it in. The food was delicious, but the company was much
better than anything I'd experienced in a long time.

"Brody?" A loud whiny voice
called me from the moment. I turned to see Dina standing a few feet from us, a
smile on her beautiful face. Her long dark hair was hanging around her
shoulders, leaving her to look like an exotic princess of sorts.

"Hey, Dina." I stood up,
thinking it might be best to walk over to her rather than have her come and
introduce herself to Cora. With my luck, she'd mention the blow job in front of
my newest obsession and send me back to square one.

"You look amazing." She smiled
and reached out, brushing her hands over my chest as I stopped in front of her.

"You, too. Life treating you
well?" I carefully took her hands and pulled them from me, trying to be
nonchalant about it.

"It's been good, but I've missed you.
Three days and nothing? Was I not good enough?" She gave me a knowing
look. The bitch was every man's wet dream. She was good enough for most, but
she wasn't the girl for me.

"Don't be silly. I'll call you soon.
I'm having dinner with a friend tonight, though. Take care, okay?" I
winked and turned, walking back to the table as she called out to me.

"No taking her to the lookout, okay?
That's our place." A sexy smile lifted her lips.

I cringed as I dropped back down in my
chair and waved at her. "Yep."

Cora laughed and shook her head.
"Your hormones know no bounds, do they? You're just the typical frat boy
type."

Her words didn't match her tone, so
defending myself didn't seem necessary.

"Frat boy type? And what does that
mean exactly?" I winked at her and shoved the rest of my fajita into my
mouth.

"Hot. Cocky. Sleeps around. Doesn't
really care much about commitment." She picked up her drink and pressed
the straw to her lips as she watched me closely.

God,
she so fucking hot.

"Thanks for the compliment?" I
wiped my mouth on my napkin and then worked to make myself another fajita.
"I'm not so sure I agree with the last part of your statement. I've never
been in a committed relationship, so the first one I actually agree to, I'll
let you know if I care enough to remain committed."

"No way, really?" Her eyes grew
a little wide. "You've never had a girlfriend?"

"Maybe when I was a kid, but not since."
I shrugged. "I've never found a woman that wanted anything more than a few
nights in the sheets. I don't have dates or conversations like this. Girls are
far more whorish than guys, and I'm not kidding. You've seemed to convince
yourself otherwise. I've seen it from this angle, and I'm telling you that half
the reason I am the way I am is because of being treated like a tool by too
many women."

"Wow." She sat back and crossed
her arms over her chest. "Are you being serious right now or shitting
me?"

"I'm being serious." I took
another big bite of my dinner, chewing slowly and letting her digest the idea
that maybe she'd turned me into a villain without considering the why. She
didn't say another word, but picked at her food while I finished mine.

I paid the chest and stood up, extending
my hand to her. "You ready for this horrible, god-awful chick flick that
you're dragging me to?"

She laughed. "I am, and I'm sorry
again. Maybe I was wrong about you."

"No, I think you were right, but
there's always more to the story." I started to release her hand, but she
intertwined her fingers with mine and moved through the restaurant that way. A
silly warmth pumped through me, and by the time we got outside, I was ready to
pull her close and offer her another make-out session.

"I don't need to see the movie. You
didn't buy tickets yet, did you?" She turned to me, pulling our hands
behind her and forcing me to stand close to her as she glanced up at me.

"No, I didn't, but the night is
young. I'd rather us see the movie than take you home and not see you at
all." I licked at my lips, nervous as fuck. What was wrong with me?

"We don't have to go home. Besides, I
owe you a good date, seeing that I've been nothing but a bitch since we
met." She stepped forward, pressing her breasts against my chest.

I reached up and touched the side of her
face, memorizing the way she watched me. "You don't owe me shit. I'm still
that same guy, Cora. Don't make me into something I'm not."

She smiled and pulled back, releasing my
hand. "Never. Let's go walk on the beach and dig more into this softer side
of you. I almost like it."

"No, you don't," I laughed and
followed her around the building and down toward the sand. Three large bonfires
raged around various parts of the lake, and she moved toward the closest one
and beckoned me to come with her. My eyes moved over her body as need rolled
through me. How easy it would have been to tug her back and tell her it was
time to go back to her place or mine. To undress her slowly and taste every
inch of her before fucking her until she begged me to stop, but that's what she
expected. She'd labeled me as
that guy
.

Where I was pretty damn sure that I wasn't
in the friend-zone, I was still worried about the idea of being tested and
coming up short where she was concerned.

Several guitar players belted out an old
Billy Joel song as people danced around in the sand and laughed, having a good
time.

"Come dance with me." She turned
and tucked her hair behind her ear before extending her hand to me.

I gripped it and tugged her toward me,
wrapping my other arm around her tightly and leaning down to press my mouth to
her ear.

"What are you doing? You know this
isn't going to end well. We're supposed to see a movie, give each other grief
in the midst of our sexually charged relationship, and go our separate ways,
dreaming about fucking each other and yet pretending that we didn't." I
tightened my grip on her.

She groaned softly and slid her hands
under my t-shirt along my back. "Is that how it's supposed to work? You go
back to being a jerk and me a bitch, and the story ends there?"

I moved back as she glanced up at me, but
I made sure not to break contact with her as we swayed to the music. "I
think that's the best scenario for us, don't you? We have a long summer of
seeing each other. No need to fuck it up just yet."