If You Dare (22 page)

Ah hell. Chemistry. That’s all they had. They didn’t have trust or time. Time he could deal with. Trust, no way.

As carefully as he could, he stood and slipped on his pants. Cordelia slept on, looking as incredibly sexy as ever. This was it.

Bending over, he gently lifted her and carried her to the bedroom. Once he had her settled in bed he kissed her one last time.

And then he walked back to the living room, picked his shirt up off the floor and let himself out the door before heading back to his own real life.

Cordelia felt him push the covers around her shoulders and thought about opening her eyes, but she chickened out. She didn’t want to watch him say goodbye. So she kept her eyes shut until she heard the door close.

Once he was gone, she walked into the living room. Trying not to stare at the couch, she pressed her forehead to the door and tried not to think about the fact that this was the end.

But then her eye caught the flash of white on the coffee table. Once she saw what it was, she knew the truth.

He’d left the key. It really was over.

Joe tried to concentrate on his copy of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal while he drank his third cup of coffee, but the financial news didn’t interest him a bit.

Two other papers sat folded on the table, untouched.

Damn. He needed to get his mind back on business. He’d had his fun weekend, half the workweek was gone. While he’d been fulfilling Cordelia’s fantasies no telling who’d moved up the ladder, closer to taking his spot.

He shook the paper open and focused on a story about corporate mergers and brick and mortar businesses. And all he could think about was the fact that Cordelia didn’t realize what a vitally sexy woman she was.

He let the paper fall to the table and closed his eyes remembering the way she’d looked last night. If that wasn’t sexy, he didn’t know what was.

Of course he didn’t really know her, did he?

That rankled. The fact that he’d asked her to move to Vegas, to move in with him. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Ouch. You look like crap.”

Joe opened his eyes to see his sister clad in yellow boxer shorts and a cropped tee shirt walking in her bare feet across his kitchen floor. “Thanks.”

Taylor grabbed the ridiculous fruity cereal she’d bought the day before and poured it in a bowl before sitting next to him. “I hope you didn’t spend all night with Vegas fighting over my date with Keith.”

Sure she didn’t.
 

“No, we had plenty of other things to keep us busy.”

“Hmm.”
 

Taylor ate a spoonful of dry cereal and took a drink of warm bottled water. How she could stomach either was beyond him.

Of course, he knew she was just biding her time, waiting for him to tell her what had happened. He gave her ten seconds tops before she asked.

Ten, nine, eight…
 

Finally she couldn’t stand it any more. “I heard you come in late, and it looks like you’ve been up all night.”

“That pretty much sums it up.” He sipped his coffee and watched her grimace in his direction as he did.
 

She wrinkled up her nose and took another bite of cereal. “I don’t know how you can stand that stuff, Joe. I read the other day that it’ll eat a hole in your stomach.”

He didn’t bother to answer, just flipped the paper open and ignored the teacher shortage story. Damn.

“So you and Vegas…”

“Are none of your business.” Joe didn’t want to talk about Cordelia with Taylor. He didn’t want to talk about her with anyone.

“Yeah. Well, okay.” She took another bite of cereal. “Your friend certainly was nice.”

He didn’t want to talk about that either. Maybe Cordelia was right. Maybe he did need to let his sister grow up. But he didn’t have to like the idea.

“For what it’s worth I sent him home after you and Cordelia left. But he’s coming back Friday and I expect you to behave.”

Joe nodded even though he wanted to tell his sister she was making a royal mistake getting involved with any of his friends.

It didn’t really matter what he wanted to say anyway since Taylor was chock full of chipper conversation.

“You look like crap, you’re sitting over here all by your lonesome reading three newspapers and drinking god awful black coffee, and you didn’t bother to sleep last night. It must be bad.”

Persistence ran in the family.
 

Maybe his sister would make it out here after all.

“Like I said earlier, it’s none of your…”

“Business. I know. But I figure it has something to do with the fact that Cordelia’s favorite clothes can be summed up in two words. Laura Ashley. She teaches a class full of kids with names like Jack Daniel and Jefferson Davis. And I bet her cat probably sealed the whole deal huh?”

Well hell. Even his sister knew. That was just beautiful.

“For what it’s worth, I took her shopping and she found a ton of cute clothes that weren’t floral print.”

What the hell did flowers and fashion have to do with anything?

“And you both like the same music, so at least there’s that. But she sounds pretty attached to her cat. I don’t think he’s negotiable.”

Ah. His incorrigible sister was trying to make him laugh. He wished he could. “Thanks, Taylor. You’re pretty great, you know it.”

Taylor pushed her cereal bowl away and shrugged her shoulders. “I just hate to see you upset. And I really like Cordelia. And I know you do too.”

He folded the three papers together and stuck them in his brief case. “Well, you know, it’s hard to like someone you don’t really know. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Taylor sent him a sad little smile that said she knew better and when he stood to leave, she gave him a quick hug. “You never know, Joe. It might still work out.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

And then he headed out, ready to make a million dollars, ready to just forget about the girl next door who’d stolen his heart.

Cordelia didn’t want to talk to Taylor. Even as she called herself a world-class chicken, she refused to open the door when she saw who was knocking. As much as she wanted to hear about the big date, she wanted to wallow in her misery more.
 

So she sat on her sister’s couch, wrapped up in the bed spread from the guestroom, surrounded by M&Ms and a bottle—no two bottles—of blackberry wine and listened to the same jazz CD she’d had in the stereo all week.

She would’ve been content to stay just like that the rest of the day, if her sister hadn’t unlocked the door, taken one look and dropped her suitcase on the floor.

“You said you weren’t in love.”

“I’m not.”

Cordelia took one last swallow of wine and tried to stand up to greet her wild and crazy sister but the room tilted under her feet.

Fortunately Irene was there to help her sit back down. She simply stepped over her suitcase as if it belonged right there in the middle of the living room floor and sat beside her on the couch “Right. You’re eating chocolate by the pound, drinking cheap wine and lying around in the middle of the Vegas summer wrapped up in a blanket. Either somebody died or you’re in love. And I don’t think I heard about anyone dying.”

Ugh! New second worst moment ever. Go for subject change. “I like your hair.”

Irene shot her a level stare. “Uh huh. Sure you do. It’s pink.”
 

Hello sarcastic sister. I love you too.

“But we’re not going to talk about my hair, honey.” And then, “So what’s up with the pity party. Hm?”

Cordelia didn’t know what she was talking about. Who the heck was indulging in a pity party? “I waxed my legs. I wore high heels. I had sex in public places. This isn’t a pity party. It’s a celebration.”

“Sex in public place, hmm? We’ll get back to that. So now you’re celebrating all by your lonesome, getting drunk off your butt just because. Tell me what happened.”

Cordelia shrugged. What was there to tell? “I spent all week lying to him, and I had the best time, but the truth came out and it’s over.”

“I’m still stuck on sex in public places, Del. But let’s focus on one thing at a time. Lying how?”

Cordelia closed her eyes and wished she weren’t still stuck on sex in public places. Sex in private places. The bathtub, the kitchen, this stupid couch. UGH!

She really wanted another drink. Irene must’ve read her mind because she opened the last bottle and poured a full glass.

Great sister. Wonderful sister. Sister responsible for the whole stupid dare in the first place. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me to get up and get over it?”

Irene laughed and took a drink. “Hell no, honey. You waxed your legs. That alone’s reason to get drunk in my book. Now you were saying…”

“You know how I lied. I pretended to be like you. And he thought I was. And then when he found out I wasn’t, it was horrible.”

Terrible. Disastrous. Relief.

“So you fell head over heels for him and confessed?”

She shook her head. “Not exactly, but close enough.”

Irene popped an M&M in her mouth. “Well, that’s just crazy. He should’ve had an idea of the truth. It’s not like Joe’s never heard me talk about you. Shoot, I subscribe to the town paper. We get a big kick laughing at the visitor report every time I come home.”

Cordelia’s head was fuzzy from the sugar high and wine consumption, but she knew her sister was telling her something she didn’t know. Something important.

“What?”

“The big idiot. It’s not like I don’t talk about you all the time. He just saw you in that dress and forgot about everything other than what he wanted to see. Typical male. I’m going to kick his butt for making you fall in love with him. But first I’m going to kick yours. You knew better!”

Knowing and doing were two different things. Like she knew getting a tattoo was a terrible idea. One day that butt Joe liked so much was going to sag. And when it did she wouldn’t be the small town girl with the sexy tattoo. She’d be the crazy old woman with that awful mark on her ass.

Ugh. She so deserved every minute of this torture. Cordelia finished off her wine. “You’re right. I did.”

“And of all things to fall for a commitment phobe like Joe.”

Absolutely. What was she insane? Cordelia lifted her glass in a silent toast to her sister’s inspired words. “Well, it’ll all be okay in another couple days. I’ll go home and forget all about him asking me to stay.”

Silence. Blessed silence.

Cordelia almost laughed at the look on her sister’s face. Yep. She was drunk all right.

Irene’s mouth dropped open. “He did what?”

“Asked me to stay. Invited me to move in.”

Jerk. Ridiculous notions making her crazy now when everything was going just fine.

“Holy cow!” Irene took the empty glass from Cordelia’s hand along with the bag of chocolate. “He asked you to move in?”

Hel-lo. Was she even listening? Cordelia sent her an evil eye for taking the chocolate. The wine was gone so she was welcome to the empty glass. “Hel-lo. That’s what I said. It was the most horrible moment of my life.”

 
“Horrible.” Irene was looking at her like she’d dyed her hair blue. Matching blue to go with her bright pink. They could be wild and crazy sisters together.

“Joe Sterling asked you to move in with him and you’re getting drunk and eating chocolate? Do you have any idea how many women would die at the opportunity to live with him? He’s rich. He’s gorgeous. And I’m guessing he’s damn good in bed.”

Damn good. Better than that.

Yep. That was Joe all right. The small town runaway ruled by the almighty dollar. Ozymandious. She was definitely going to have her students memorize that poem next semester.

 
“And he’s entrenched in Vegas. And I hate big cities. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Once he realized I wasn’t a wild, sexy woman like you, he wasn’t interested.”

Irene rolled her eyes. “Sure he wasn’t. You had sex in a public place, Sis. I got news for you. You are a wild and sexy woman like me. Hell you’re wilder than me. And I fully expect to hear more of that story.”

As if she’d ever tell. And it didn’t matter if Irene believed her or not about his interest. “None of it matters. This was a fling. A fantasy. I’m leaving in two days. End of story.”

She could always look at investing in a vibrator. Hell, she should’ve done that a long time ago anyway. God she was tired.

“Five days of sex isn’t enough time to really fall in love any way.”

Like Irene knew anything about sex with Joe or time limits on love. “You fell in love with Jimmy Hatcher in one day.”

Irene laughed. “You’re definitely drunk. And I was a freshman in high school, Cordelia. Not quite the same.”

Just tipsy. And yes it was. “You dated him all through high school. When he visits Vegas now, y’all still get together.”

“And talk. Once again, not the same.”

Talk. Oh man she’d loved her talks with Joe. But even as much as Joe liked talking, Cordelia still couldn’t imagine ever getting together with him just to talk. Maybe she could convince him to try. Hmm. “I guess you’re right.”

 
Irene nodded. “Okay then. You had your fantasy. Judging by what you said, I’m guessing it was good, not to mention fun.”

Incredible. Beyond belief. Mind blowing. Oh man. She had to remember to ask Irene where to shop for sex toys. Were they even legal back home?

“Oh yeah. It was definitely that. And I learned a ton about myself.” Like my knees are super sensitive, and I have this freckle that…. Damn. “And now it’s over.”

“It was fun and educational and over.” Irene looked puzzled. “So why the chocolate?”

Good question. And Cordelia knew the answer. Chocolate was the answer to all life’s terrible problems. And she didn’t have a vibrator. And sex alone would never be enough to sustain a relationship. Not even the kind of sex she had with Joe.

Besides, it wasn’t like Joe wanted a relationship now anyway.
 

“Like you said when you came in the room. You warned me.” Cordelia popped four blue M&Ms in her mouth and crunched before changing the subject. “Enough about me. Tell me about your trip.”