Sweet Nothings (17 page)

And it had bothered him so much he’d actually shown up?

Excitement flooded her. This couldn’t have worked out any better.

So now he not only knew that she and Brian had gone out, but that they’d stayed out hours later, too. He had to assume she’d been at Brian’s house all this time.

She grinned across the dark interior of the car, suddenly anxious to wrap up the date part of her night. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“No problem.”

Since they’d been friends for years, Brian had been more than happy to be a part of her plan. He was the love-’em-and-leave-’em type when it came to the women he dated. Called himself a confirmed bachelor. And he wasn’t shy about sharing the pleasure around.

But he was one hundred percent committed to his friends.

The rare times she needed help, he was one of the few she’d call. When she’d told him yesterday that she needed him, he’d canceled his previous plans with no hesitation.

That was Brian.

She’d met him at Talbot’s tonight, but they’d purposefully left her car at his house after watching two Mel Brooks movies. Nick had stayed out three hours after dinner—Joanie made sure to stay out four.

“Prepare yourself.” Joanie squirmed in the seat. “You’ll have to kiss me when we stop.”

He shot her a lecherous look. “Darlin’, kissing you is no hardship.”

She shook her head. He was so full of himself.

He’d kissed her once years ago when they’d briefly considered hooking up, but it had fallen a little flat and she’d decided he was better as a friend, instead of her being one of his playthings.

“Don’t pull into the driveway.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm as if to stop him. “Stop on the road, back a little so you’re not directly under the streetlight, but enough to be able to see what’s going on in the car.”

“Don’t want to be too obvious?” Brian snickered.

“Don’t be a smart-ass.” She swatted at him as she scanned the area to make sure Nick was watching. She couldn’t find him in the shadows of her porch at first, but then made out a figure in the chair in the corner. She had to assume that was him. “I’ve got to teach him a lesson,” she added. “He took Gina out the other night just to irritate me.”

“Hold out and don’t give him any. That’ll teach him.”

Good idea in theory. But after acknowledging to herself the past few days that she couldn’t sit by and watch Nick be with someone else in that way, she was now rethinking her plan. Maybe they could have a little fling. They could keep it casual. If they both knew the rules going into it, what would be the harm?

Brian stopped on the street and put the car into park. He drove a sporty two-door, fitting perfectly with the “date” she’d been going for. “I heard he didn’t put out for Gina. What’s wrong with the guy? She’s a sure thing. Is he gay?”

“Definitely not gay.” Joanie turned in her seat to face Brian so they appeared more intimate, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Put your arm around me.”

Brian complied. “Then what’s wrong with him?”

Joanie raised her hand to Brian’s shoulder and caressed. “Nothing. Do I look okay? Do we look natural?”

He flicked his eyes down the front of her shirt and grinned. “They look pretty natural to me.”

“Not those, smart-ass.” She smirked. “But thanks. Now get ready to kiss me. It’ll have to be a long one.”

He shook his head. “You do realize that man has it bad for you, right?”

“You’ve barely met him. How would you know?”

“Darlin’.” He cupped her cheek and angled his head to hers. She watched his gaze stray to her front porch before returning. “I don’t have to have another conversation with him to know he’s crazy about you.” He dipped his head and almost touched her lips. “He’s about five seconds away from snapping your porch railing with his bare hands.”

Brian latched his lips onto hers and she kissed him back with everything she had. All in all it was a very nice kiss, but there simply was no spark. Nothing like when Nick kissed her.

She pulled back enough to speak, but not enough to be obvious. “You’ve got good technique. Is he still watching?”

“Yeah.” Brian dropped his mouth to her neck. “You sure you don’t want to change your mind and become more than friends?”

He nipped her neck and she laughed. He was funny.

“I’m not joking,” Brian said. “I know my way around a woman’s body. Many more compliments than complaints. If that’s all you’re needing, and Romeo up there wants more than you’re willing to give…” He let his words trail off as he peered down at her.

They got each other. She didn’t know exactly what made him the way he was, and he didn’t know everything about her, but they understood marriage and romance were not something either considered.

She patted him on the cheek as she pulled away. “You’re a sweetheart. But you know it’s best to keep it as we are. We’re better as friends.”

With the door open, light from inside the car highlighted Brian’s face. She reached across and used her thumb to wipe lipstick from his lips. “Thanks again for changing your plans for me,” she whispered. “I’ll pick up my car tomorrow.”

“No problem, darlin’. Good luck with Romeo.”

She waved as Brian roared off, then she headed across the yard for her house. Nerves quivered through her entire body. Nick was waiting for her. Her feet slowed as she pictured him coming in on Friday night. He’d looked at her with a blank face, like he hadn’t wanted her to know what he’d been doing.

Now she saw it for what it really was. He’d wanted her to think he’d been all up in Gina for the last three hours. He’d wanted her jealous.

Well, he got it. She hadn’t liked it one bit, but he wasn’t the only one who could play games. If he thought he wanted sex and friendship after, she would give it to him. After she pissed him off with Brian.

Her feet hurried forward, nearing the steps. Tonight had been fun. She hadn’t hung out with Brian like that in years. But she’d constantly found herself wishing the hours would go by so she could come home and see if Nick would be here waiting.

She’d desperately wanted him to be, and that had worried her. This was only going to be about sex. Sex shouldn’t make her desperate. It was a good time, nothing more.

So why did seeing him on her porch, knowing she might have pushed him too far, make her nervous?

No better time than the present to find out. She sucked in a deep gulp of cool night air and headed up the steps.

Nick could not believe what he’d just witnessed. After hearing from five different people about the date, he would have bet money it was purely for show. She must’ve figured out he hadn’t really been interested in Gina. He’d even expected Joanie to stay out a while after dinner, just as he had.

But after sitting on her cold porch for close to three hours—waiting to make her admit she’d been as jealous as he was—and then watching the molestation going on by both of them in Hot Rod’s car, Nick’s temper was out of control.

When her foot hit the top step, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “It’s two o’clock in the morning.”

“Oh!” Her hand fluttered to her chest. “Nicky, I didn’t see you.”

“Stop it with the ‘Nicky.’ You knew full well I was here.”

“No, I was—”

He stepped forward and clamped a hand around her elbow. “I know exactly what you were doing.”

He grabbed the door, which he’d already discovered hadn’t been locked, and shoved it open. He dragged her inside. Once there, he slammed it and pulled her to his chest. The heat from her body immediately warmed him.

“If all you want is sex, baby, let’s go for it. I guarantee I can keep it simple.” He mashed his mouth to hers.

She stiffened in his grip before softening, then reached up and twined her arms around his neck. Her moan pulsed through him, the faint bite of alcohol on her tongue spiking his anger.

He clamped both arms around her, his nostrils flaring, taking in her scent. Hot and sexy. He squeezed her closer until he flattened their bodies together, aligning them perfectly. She was for him. Not that asshole Brian Marshall.

Her fingers tunneled through his hair as her lean body quivered against his. He couldn’t believe she would be this responsive if she’d just spent hours in another man’s bed. But he’d seen that kiss. It had not looked like an innocent good-night kiss.

Wrenching his mouth from hers, he tugged the edge of her top to the side and fastened his lips to her skin. It tasted slightly salty, musky. He clamped his teeth on her shoulder.

“Ahhh…” Her chest pushed forward.

He slid his hands down her sides and over her rear until he gripped the bottom of her skirt. Yanking it up, he cupped her butt in his hands,
then reared back as he realized he held bare flesh. He squinted through the darkness. “Where is your underwear?”

“Thong.” She stretched toward his lips. “Take me to bed, Nick. Please.”

“Tell me you didn’t just sleep with Marshall.”

Holding his lips away, he lifted her body against his and squeezed both hands. He loved the feel of her butt cheeks in his palms. She wrapped both legs around him.

“I didn’t just sleep with Marshall,” she whispered, pressing soft kisses to his throat.

He growled. “Never?”

“Never.”

It would have to be good enough. “Don’t let me catch you kissing him again.”

She smiled up at him. Too sweet this time. “Okay, Nicky.”

Crap.

Joanie barely got one foot down before she slipped and ended up on the ground, her bare rear splatting against the tiled entryway. Dang. Why had she teased him one last time? She’d already won.

From her position on the floor, with her skirt riding her waist, she scowled up at Nick only to be taken aback by the dark fury directed her way. His hands clenched at his sides. “Is that all this is to you? A game?”

She stood and straightened her skirt without answering. Was it? Yes, she realized, she supposed it had been. She hadn’t liked seeing him with Gina, so she’d made sure he hadn’t liked seeing her with Brian more. She put some space between them and flipped on a lamp, spilling pale light across the room to highlight the mess that she was. There were scattered books and magazines. A pile of unopened mail on the end table.

Seeing the TV remote on the floor, she kicked it out of the way and picked up a throw pillow. She faced Nick, the pillow in front of her, her arms crossed over it. “I’m sorry.”

He stared at her, jaw set. “For?”

“For taking it too far.” She licked her swollen lips. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. “For…” She shrugged. “Making it a game.” She shook her head, not wanting to admit the truth, but not liking when people refused to do so, either. “I was jealous of Gina. Happy? I didn’t like you taking her out. Not one bit. But you already knew that. You planned it that way.”

Nick took a step toward her. He stopped in the middle of the room and watched her, and she suddenly felt more awkward than she had in years. He studied her as if he could see inside her.

“What?” She pulled the pillow tighter against her.

“So you decided the best thing to do was to get back at me?”

She tilted her chin in the air. “You know I did.”

“Why?”

Her mouth hung open. “I just told you. I was jealous.”

“Yet you don’t want to go out with me.”

“I still don’t.”

How stupid did she sound right now?

He laughed at her. Honest to God laughed out loud in her face. “You do know how ridiculous you sound?”

“
Yes
,” she stressed. “I’m very well aware of how ridiculous I sound, but it’s the facts. I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to get involved.” She paused, trying to decide whether to throw it all out there or not, then decided to go for it. What would it hurt at this point? “But you mentioned sex the other day. Maybe I wouldn’t be opposed to a sex-only kind of thing. If you really thought you could keep your emotions out of it.”

His face was as hard as granite. She wasn’t sure if that was because he was angry, or if he was merely thinking about her proposition.

“Can I ask what your problem is with getting involved?”

The question caught her off guard. It was one she rarely got asked. Most men were more than happy to keep it light. She bit down against her bottom lip as she thought through how she wanted to answer him, then decided to go for the truth. At least part of it. She wasn’t about to tell
him she had an overriding fear that she’d fall over backward for some man only to have him trample on her heart.