The Good Girl (4 page)

“Ah, that inquiring mind. You don’t need a sex column; you need to be an investigative reporter.” He laughed. “Yeah, it’s my parents’.” He wiped down the bar before adding to it. “I’m an Evans.” Then he winked at me.

Apparently I was supposed to know what that meant and because of it, who he was. What I gathered was that it was like being a Stone. My heart went out to him. “So, you understand the dangers of not living up to expectations. Please understand, I don’t look at this column as anything more than a stepping stone in my career. I’m not sure where I want to take the degree, but I love writing. I love helping people. This meets all those criteria.”

For some reason, I didn’t want to see his face. I just wanted to think for a minute. He had struck a nerve. Why did I need that job? It would force me to stretch myself. There was something about a challenge. Then, there was sheer, utter, simple curiosity. I was the only one of my friends who was practically still a virgin. When we gathered together on holiday breaks, I was the one who never had a boyfriend, who never had sexcapades to relay, who sat back and tried to pretend to understand these foreign objects and experiences they talked about. I hated it. Then I smiled. As I stared in front of me, another piece of my phone had appeared.

“Can I see the list?”
He asked seriously.

Shaking my head, I refused.
“No. It’s too...humiliating.”

“Dammit woman, I can look it up online, but it’s just easier if you share the print copy. Okay?” He scowled at me for a moment. Then as I pushed the paper toward him, he smirked. After studying it for a moment, he looked up at me. “One night stand?”

“Nope.
I knew them. It was a date. It just never went beyond that.” I stared at him evenly, trying not to give away any emotion.

“Did you like them?” He asked. “Either of them?”

Taking a deep breath, I said, “Not really. I just felt like...it was time. There wasn’t a crush, a bunch of love letters, phone calls, any of that. The first was prom. And for lack of a better defense, everyone was doing it.” I let out a hollow laugh. “The second, was a house party after graduation.”

“Drunk?” He asked, perplexed.

“No, but he was. This one was someone that my family approved of and had been pushing me toward for years. I just kind of gave in.” I sighed. “Does any of this make sense?”

“Honestly, no. I can’t understand how someone as beautiful as you could possibly think of settling for less than every single thing she deserved. Forget about your parents. What do you want?” He stood there, challenging me.

It was no longer about the phone, no longer about the game of Truth or Truth. I had to answer. We were really talking. “I’m not sure I know. I don’t know if my life has ever been about what I want.”

“What if we try to figure that out, together?
And...what if I help you with this list?” He asked. There was that unmistakable twinkle in his eye. At the same time, he appeared completely sincere.

My head tilted to the side as I studied him and considered what to say. “You want to help me with this list?” My heart thudded in anticipation in my chest. If it weren’t for the ambiance created from low lights, he probably would have been able to see it pounding against my chest like in the cartoons. Then, by means of distraction, I leaned over the bar conspiratorially and said, “Why Wyatt, whatever are you suggesting?”

With that, he pushed my reassembled phone toward me. I swear I almost squealed. “Let me say my goodbyes, then we’re out of here. I’m inviting you back to my place.” He smiled at me over his shoulder as he headed toward the kitchen.

Checking my phone, I realized it was nowhere near 10pm.
He had a good hour left. Still, who was I to question? At the moment, I was getting to reconnect with everyone. My attention was completely absorbed in the phone. Within minutes, I could see that nothing going on in the world wide web was more interesting than anything going on in my real life. That’s when the text came through.

Wyatt: I may have taken the liberty of exchanging contact info.

How could I help but laugh?

Me: Of course you did.

Wyatt: So, how do you feel about chocolate?

I chuckled for a moment before I responded.

Me: Love. Really really love.

Moments later, I was working on replying to an email from an old friend when the next text arrived.

Wyatt: How do you like your wine?

This time, I decided to go for the laugh.

Me: The same way I like my men, sweet.

His response was swift.

Wyatt: Sweet...my ass!

Me: Your ass is sweet! Do I need to buy you a full length mirror?

This time, I could hear his laughter in the kitchen. It was a lovely reward.

Wyatt: Chicken or steak?

Me: Surprise me.

Wyatt: Oh, I’ll surprise you.
I’m full of surprises. Brace yourself.

He was right. He had been full of surprises so far. So, I ignored the people trying to get my attention on Facebook. Instead, my gaze was locked on that kitchen door. I watched and waited. I ignored all the buzzing notifications on my phone for Wyatt alone held my interest.

“Ready to go, doll?” That voice, the one that gave me butterflies, came from behind me.

Swiveling around on the stool, I found him standing there with a huge to go bag. The kid in me wanted to explore the bag; the Stone in me was forced to keep her cool. “Sure. Shall I follow you? I’m not leaving my car behind tonight.”

He held out his hand.
“Keys,” he said simply.

My vehicle, a gift for graduation, was a Lexus SUV. It was sexy, in its own way. And in the last nearly four years years, it had been driven solely by me. Now there was this guy I barely knew, demanding my keys. For some reason, I handed them over. “Now what?” I murmured while sliding off the stool, and looping my hand through his arm.

“Willow, I’m taking you home,” he said while staring at me with those eyes that I just wanted to get lost in.

I shrugged, trying to play it off.
Just because he was well aware of my history, it didn’t mean that I had to act the part. “And what of your vehicle?” I asked.

“It’s a motorcycle.
You...and the food...don’t really go with a motorcycle.” He smiled as he lead me through the door, carefully holding it for me, then walked to my vehicle and opened the door for me. Once I was seated, he grabbed the seat belt and hooked it over my lap.

“I could do that,” I said, shivering just a little from his nearness.

With a laugh, he responded, “Yes, but if you did it would I be able to do this?”
Instantly, his hand was on my neck, pulling me closer, and his lips were on mine. This kiss was altogether different from the one we had shared in the bathroom. This one was tender, affectionate, and so gentle, with a hint of intensity aching to be unleashed. I was in so much trouble.

Within ten minutes, we were parked in front of the garage that I had left just that afternoon. Suddenly it seemed as foreign to me as the guy driving my vehicle. What was I doing? Maybe I should have taken him up on those shots. While I worried and fretted, he confidently exited the driver’s side, grabbed the bag from the back seat, and walked over to open my door for me. If I had any doubts that he was suitable to come meet the parents, they were put to rest in that moment. He was so...gallant, in a way that far too many men just weren’t anymore. Instead of seeming awkward, he seemed to know just what to do, even if in all my run-ins with him at college, he had never been before.

After leading me up the steps, he paused in front of the door and pulled out his keys to let us in.
Even then, he turned on the light and encouraged me to enter first. “So, I’m not sure about you, but I’m starving!” He exclaimed. “I know it’s late, but humor me?”

I nodded. I had to. It was impossible at the moment for me to speak. Wyatt was walking around the room, setting up dinner at his island in the kitchen. It seemed awfully dark. “Want me to hit the lights?” I asked as I walked toward the switches on the wall with my hand outstretched.

“Nah, completely unnecessary
,” he replied with a wink. He ducked down below the counter and rummaged around in the cupboards under the island. When he popped back up, he had a plate of white pillar candles of varying heights and sizes in his hands. “Voila,” he said quietly as he carefully lit the candles with one of those long lighters.

Offering a sardonic look, I said, “Me thinks you may have done this once or twice before.”
Then I crossed my arms over my chest.

Chuckling, he admitted, “Once. I don’t usually do this whole seduction bit. It’s not really...necessary with anyone who has come home with me.” With the candles lit, he stuck the lighter in a drawer, then walked over to me. Running his hands up and down my arms, he smirked. “Take last night, for example. I brought home this totally smoking hot chick, but she was so drunk, she didn’t even open her eyes when I laid her in bed. Those candles would have been a complete waste.”

That’s when I punched him in the shoulder. He laughed, I’m guessing at his cleverness and his ability to hit a nerve. “You are totally ruining the moment here. Why would you even talk about the girl from last night when you have me...here...now?” Then I laid my head on his shoulder and nuzzled into his neck to plant a kiss or two.

Wyatt surprised me by pulling away gently, and leading me over to the stool at the island. “Let’s eat, and talk,” he suggested. Then he walked over and sat on his own stool.

My eyebrows rose. “You want to talk?”

“And eat,” he reminded me. Then he poured wine into the two glasses he had sitting on the island. “Okay...and drink a little.” He smiled. “So, did I guess right?” He gestured to my plate.

There was steak, a baked potato, and asparagus with Hollandaise on the side. “Hmmm, I’ll let you know.” Then I very purposefully cut the steak. Medium. This man was perfect. Dammit. I was going to play it all cool, but how I can I not swoon just a little when my steak is cooked to perfection. “How did you know?” I asked, looking at him while beaming.

“Well done is for those who never take a risk, or are just super mean and tough.” He started to explain, but I interrupted him.

“And this is based on some scientific study or…”

“My personal experience...which is how I knew you would take yours medium.” He took a bite of steak from his fork and chewed.

The rest of the meal mostly passed in a blur. I could barely eat. It is impossible to eat while hiding a huge smile. Or maybe it was just impossible for me to eat. Then...he pulled out dessert. I love chocolate cake. Instead of waiting for me to reach out and snatch some with my fork, and instead of wading through weak protests that I was too full or too fat, he fed me.

The fork hovered just in front of my face. “Here, try this,” he said. He wasn’t begging, or demanding, and yet there was no way I could turn him down.

Opening my mouth, he slid the fork in. It ended up being a bigger mouthful than I had anticipated. Not everything made it in neatly. There was a good bit of frosting on my lips. My hand shot up to cover my mouth, but he pulled it away and started kissing and licking at the chocolate while I struggled to swallow what was in my mouth. It had surprised me so much that I could have sworn I was going to choke.

“Wine,” he suggested as he picked up my glass and passed it to me. I could feel my face flush, but my hope was that given the low lighting, he would never know. “You are adorable when you blush, in case you were wondering,” he mentioned.

While I was busy taking a sip, he was busy looking me over. “How is it possible that you have so little experience?” He asked. I was frozen in place, mesmerized by the way he was studying me, touching my face, and playing with my hair in his hands. Soon it was obvious he didn’t expect an answer. He kept talking. “You must just intimidate the guys.”

“I’m scary,” I asked while staring into those eyes. It was meant to be a joke, but it fell flat. My nerves were on alert, my mouth instantly dry.

“Not to me. You should meet my family. After them, I’m afraid of no one.” He chuckled. Without saying another word, he walked around the island until he was in front of me. Suddenly his arms slid around me, and he gathered me in such a way that he could carry me right over to the bed.

Somehow, I was more nervous now than I was the time I lost my virginity. This...mattered more. “Well, you don’t waste any time,” I tried to joke, but to me, it felt flat.

“It’s not what you think. Stay here,” he urged. Then he hopped off the bed, walked back to the island, grabbed the wine, and picked up the list I had been carrying around with me. “For you,” he said as he passed me the glass. Then he sat down with his own glass in hand and held up the paper. “This is for us.”

As he sank onto the bed beside me, a shiver ran down my spine. He must have noticed because he threw an arm around me, then arranged me so that I was leaning against his chest with my head tucked into his neck and shoulder. Once finished, he held the paper in front of us. His confidence had me smiling despite my fears. “Oh, am I comfortable now?” I asked.

Leaning down, he planted a kiss on my forehead. “Oh, you are very comfortable now.” He pulled me a bit closer before continuing. “Let’s see what we have here…”

Somehow, having this huge list of things that I had never done with anyone was a bit daunting and humiliating. Despite all the comfort and reassurance he was providing, I sank down in the bed slightly. When he glanced down at me, I sighed. “What? This is humiliating.”

Setting the list aside, he looked at me seriously. “Why? Why are you embarrassed that you haven’t done all this? You shouldn’t be.” Without saying another word, he hauled me onto his lap. “Sure, college is a time to be daring and have fun, test the limits….” He shook his head. “I’m not what you think I am.” He seemed to want to say more, but he shook his head. “This...isn’t about me. This is about you. Let’s get you that sex column. That’s what you want, right?” He looked me in the eyes and waited for a response.

“Yes, I do,” I murmured. I could get drunk on those eyes.

Nodding, he said, “Then let’s take a very sophisticated approach. We’ll look at this, like you said...as research. We’ll be scientific about it. I’m leaving town a few days after graduation in two weeks, so you have me until then. Okay?”

Wyatt was leaving. In an instant, somehow, that made it easier. I wouldn’t have to worry about running into him, seeing his face, and remembering what was once between us. That look the other girls wore when leaving his room, that shame would never be on my face. This was practical, and responsible. This had nothing to do with emotions. It was strictly business. Smiling, I finally spoke. “Challenge accepted. So now what?”

“Time to break down the list.
Let’s figure out what you need me for and what you can do on your own.” He chuckled. Then he looked down at me and frowned. “So, Miss Stone, how uptight an upbringing did you have?”

Making a face, I admitted, “My mother made the Puritans look like whores.”

Grimacing, he said, “That sounds pretty intense.”

After I nodded sadly, I turned my attention to the paper in front of us. There were a plethora of possibilities for where to begin and my mind was reeling with the anticipation of it all. Plus...he was taking too long. “Look, we’re on a time limit here. I don’t have time for this seduction scene. And if you are leaving town, neither do you…”

That’s when he silenced me with a kiss.
His lips fit perfectly with mine. His arms pulled me closer, so that soon enough, I was breathless and quietly introspective. “By now, I recognize your defense mechanisms. You don’t have to be scared. You also don’t have to be in control of every situation. Relax and let this just...happen,” Wyatt said as his lips grazed my ear and started an unfamiliar warmth inside me. “I’ve looked this over. Think of me as your instructor. Let me teach you. Just know that we’re starting with Sex 101. I’ve got this.” Then he passed me the wine glass and before I could make some remark he said, “And I’m not trying to get you drunk, just trying to take the edge off. Understand?”

Actually, I did.
Isn’t that what happened the night before? Only, that was a complete disaster whereas this was...promising. “Okay,” I said with a shrug. “Whatever you say.” Then I took a healthy swig because...let’s face it, I had a lot of edge to take off. While my neck was elongated and my head tipped back to drink, he ran a hand down it. Soon, I was sputtering. “How is this supposed to help me relax?” I moaned.

“Easy,” he said by way of explanation.
With one hand he took my wine glass, which he very nearly had to pry out of my hands. With the other, he cupped the back of my head and messed up my long layers. His lips were once again on mine and I was completely captivated. Never before had I been kissed like this. These were not the sloppy kisses and awkward fumblings of the boys I had been with before. These were seasoned lips and practiced hands that knew all the right places to touch, the amount of pressure to exert, and the best use of a tongue. Of that, I was certain.

It was easy...letting go with him. Without even thinking, I was soon murmuring his name against his lips. “Oh, Wyatt…” That warmth was building again within me, had me moving against him in a way that I never had before. Soon, he had me on my back and was covering my body with his as lips and hands roamed places that normally would have had me blushing, only instead...I was wanting...more. “More,” I moaned. “Please…” He paused. The spell was broken. I, in turn, stiffened.

“Don’t,” he whispered in my ear, as he cupped my head and pulled me near. “Don’t be ashamed. Don’t worry about how I see you.” He pulled back just far enough to hold my head in both hands and force my face to look at his. “You. Are. Beautiful. I mean it.” Each word was punctuated with a kiss...on my cheek, the tip of my nose, my forehead. Finally, he captured my lips once more. “These feelings, this need...this is how it’s supposed to be.”

My eyes looked down. I could scarcely meet his gaze. It felt amazing to be with him and so very wrong all at the same time.

“I feel it, too, a need for you.” He offered me a reassuring smile then took my hand and laid it on his bulging pants. “See,” he said as he urged my hand up and down his erection. “I want you, too.”

“I don’t want you,” I lied. “This is purely...research…”

He laughed, calling my bluff. “Oh, really? Because right now, I’d venture a guess that your body is just as ready for me as mine is for you.” While he spoke, his hand had been slowly traveling down my thigh until he reached the hem of my dress. His hand snuck under and now traveled up my inner thigh.

Instinct and years of training had me thinking that I was supposed to snap those legs shut at the knee.
Only...I didn’t. I couldn’t. For one reckless moment, I wanted to abandon all that nonsense and just be with him, see what happened, even if it meant my body completely gave me away. So...my legs may have dropped open a bit, allowing him easier access.

Wyatt’s hand traveled up further and further, until he was touching the top of my panties. It settled there for a moment and slowly slipped beneath the waistband of my cotton thigh highs, cupping me for a moment. Just as I grew used to his touch, his fingers sought me out, probing until they found my throbbing, aching, wet vagina. I couldn’t help but gasp as he entered me while bracing against my pubic bone. Something in me couldn’t help but respond as I began to grind against his palm. My mouth wanted his so that I could hide.