by Marie Harte
“So you’re here to rub it in, or what?” Faith frowned. “You and Miss Baby Bump aren’t helping. Brian is not a known commodity, no matter what you two might think. He’s charming, handsome as all get out, and good in bed. Well, good on the couch,” she amended.
All three turned to stare at her sofa.
“You Scotchgarded that, right?” asked Sydney.
Faith ignored her. “But every time I’ve dated a guy with money, he’s turned out to be a dirtbag.”
“You dated them because they had money,” Hailey said. “You went out with Brian despite him being poor. So you thought.”
“True.”
“Now you know he’s a nice guy.” Sydney beamed. “I told you so.”
Hailey shook her head. “She’s been dying to say that.”
“Well, I earned it. I might have tried Brian if Derrick hadn’t been so annoyingly persistent.” Sydney smirked. “Brian’s nice, self-sufficient and sexy. What’s not to like?”
Hailey pursed her lips. “I don’t know that nice is all that attractive. Don’t most of us want a guy who’s not so nice?” She and Sydney looked at Faith.
“I don’t know. I’ve dated dickheads, so ‘nice’ is a pleasant change.”
“As long as he’s not nice in bed,” Sydney added. “Because that’s just boring. I’m getting the impression that’s not the case with Brian.”
Faith blushed. “Um, er, no. He wasn’t that nice.” She paused. “Problem is, we got so hot and bothered so fast. I don’t know what he’s like in bed. Not really. I’m just afraid once we do get there, then that’s all he’ll ever want to do with me. I’m not that woman anymore. I’m good for more than sex.” She kept hearing Dylan encouraging her to embrace her strengths, her worth and her dependability.
“Good for you.” Sydney nodded. “Life is too short to deal with dickheads. I never liked Sphincter.”
Faith rolled her eyes. They’d taken to calling her ex the name. Sadly, it fit. “I still can’t believe I even went out with him. I knew he’d hit on Hailey and you. What the hell was I thinking?”
That she didn’t want to be her mother—a poor, white-trash manipulator from the wrong side of the tracks, with no prospects and no financial stability. Alice Sumner had used her body as currency her entire life. Yet she’d never made it out of the tiny trailer on the outskirts of Appling. Drugs and dependence had made her into the woman she was today. Thank God Faith had wised up and moved out at the first opportunity.
“Whatever you were thinking, you learned from it.” Hailey put her hand on top of Faith’s. “We’ve all been there, with the wrong guy for the wrong reason. But happiness is around the corner if you believe in yourself. Hell. If Sydney can get lucky, anyone can.”
Laughter dissolved the somber tone that had been building.
“Now stop being so maudlin.” Sydney grinned. “That’s my word for the day. I had to use it. Tell us about Brian. I’m dying to know. Is he a shower or a grower? Or both?”
Faith gaped at her. “Sydney!”
“What? I’m in a relationship, not dead. The pregnant chick next to me wants to know too.”
Hailey blushed. “I do.”
“Oh hell. He’s both, okay?”
Sydney popped another chocolate. “Damn, girl. You hit the mother lode. So, have you been to his sister’s place yet or what?”
“We’re going this week.”
Sydney blinked. “Really? Isn’t that kind of soon for someone who wants to slow things down?”
“Freddy invited us.” Faith didn’t understand their concern.
Hailey stared at her in shock. “You’re kidding.”
“What’s the big deal? It’s a housewarming party. I thought you were coming too. Thursday night? Freddy, Dylan and Harper’s place?”
“Oh. That.” Sydney sighed in relief. “I thought you were talking about the club.”
“Me too.” Hailey laughed. “Wow. Imagine our vanilla friend going for the other flavors of the rainbow.”
Sydney grinned. “I know, right? I can’t see Faith there. Although Derrick’s mentioned the place a few times. I’m thinking we might try it.”
“Sydney, you hussy.” Hailey shook her head.
Her friends seemed to be speaking another language. “Wait. What are you two talking about?”
“The club,” Sydney explained, “is Augusta’s best-kept secret. A private sex club that’s pretty exclusive. Freddy runs it.”
“You’re shitting me.” Faith couldn’t believe it. Pixie-like Freddy? Brian’s little sister running a sex club? Then again, she was involved in a threesome with Dylan and Harper...
“Nope. Rumor has it Brian’s part owner.” Hailey’s eyes sparkled. “Yep. You nabbed yourself a kinky guy. He might be Goode, but I’m guessing deep down he’s baaad.”
Sydney laughed, and even Faith joined in. But her mind whirled, wondering just what Brian had buried beneath the surface, and what he might be like when he showed her the truth about his wants and needs.
Chapter Five
Brian didn’t understand the looks Faith kept giving him at the party. A small gathering of family and friends sat in Freddy’s new home on the outskirts of town, a grand modern structure at odds with Augusta’s Southern charm. It had been built a little over two years ago, but the home’s architect had sold the place when he’d moved back to Charleston. Since Derrick and Gage, who owned a construction company, and Sydney, a realtor, had given the place a huge thumbs-up, Freddy and her guys had purchased the place for a steal.
Now his sister and her lovers lived in a home big enough to house them all in comfort. Knowing she had men who loved and would take care of her—and yes, the thought was chauvinistic, but she was his sister—eased the worry he’d had for her for years. He liked and respected Dylan Warren and Harper Reynolds, even if he didn’t quite get the threesome concept. But hell, his sister had always been an odd duck, even as a kid.
Yeah? And what about you and your buried kink?
He ignored the thought and smiled at his companions for the evening. The Warren brothers and their significant others, and he and Faith were in attendance. A low-key evening filled with great food, alternative music and phenomenal company gave him a head start on his weekend. Knowing he’d likely spend the night with his friends, he’d moved some clients around. He had two to meet with in the late afternoon tomorrow.
Ignoring the knowing grins and nods from Freddy going from him to Faith, he skirted his sister and joined Faith when she left for the kitchen.
“Okay, I give up. What’s with all the weird looks?” he asked once he had her to himself.
She jumped at his first word, then turned from the sink clutching her chest. “Don’t do that.”
“Talk?”
“Sneak up on me,” she snapped.
So fiery, his Faith. “Well?”
She glanced around and, seeing them alone, pulled him closer.
“This is nice,” he began with a broad grin. But she stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“Your sister runs a sex club?” she whispered.
He groaned. “This isn’t going to be a problem for you, is it?” Despite her open attitude and down-to-earth nature, for all he knew, Faith might be a prude when it came to alternative lifestyles.
“No. But I’m fascinated. Why didn’t you say anything about it before?”
The sparkle in her eyes attracted him. Hot damn. She was curious, not dismayed.
“What should I have said? ‘Thanks for taking a chance on me, Faith. And oh, by the way, my sister runs a sex club. Want to go at it while other people watch? Have an orgy? Play with whips and chains?’”
She flushed.
“Do you?” he asked, stunned.
“No.” But she answered too hastily. “The sex talk is way too fast for us anyway. We’re taking this slowly, remember?”
Bummer. “Yeah.”
She paused. “Have you ever been there?”
“Only to overs
ee finances or consult. I’m a silent partner. The running and success of the place is all Freddy.” He chuckled. “My sister, the mistress of kink.”
She shook her head. “She looks so innocent.”
“I know. Suckers them in every time.” He lingered over Faith’s features, taken by the slight sprinkle of freckles over the bridge of her nose that he hadn’t noticed before. So faint, but this close, he could see them. “You don’t mind, do you?”
She swallowed audibly. “Mind?”
Brian moved closer. Caging her between him and the sink. “About the club. I could get you a tour sometime if you like.” Anything to get closer to her. Man, he had it bad.
She looked at his mouth. “I-I’ll think about it.” Then she ducked under him and joined the others back in the living room.
Brian took a moment to will his body to relax before rejoining the group and found Faith bragging about how she’d beaten him at bowling.
Freddy smirked. “Brian always was a sore loser. How did he take it?”
“I am not,” he disagreed. “If I remember correctly, you’re the one who used to cry a river when you lost at anything. She cheats to win, you know,” he said to her partners.
Dylan smirked. “We know.”
“I do not.” Freddy frowned, but she smiled at Harper when he whispered something in her ear.
Derrick snickered. “Well, Dylan’s just as bad. He can’t stand always losing to me.”
Sydney nodded, sitting in his lap. “It’s true. Derrick’s the Warren twin that never loses.”
Brian noted Faith’s smugness directed his way. “Well, I’m ready to go double or nothing. Freddy, get the game.”
His sister groaned.
“What?” Faith asked.
“He’s a pain in the ass about Cranium. It’s a thinking game, and it’s kind of fun. But it’s only for four. We’ll have to team up.”
Faith rubbed her hands together. “Fine. I’ve played this once or twice before. Bet you, Brian, that I beat you.”
Hailey looked back and forth between them, then at her fiancé. “Stakes?”
Sitting next to her, Gage kissed her on the cheek. “We’ll call ’em at home.” He wiggled his brows, and the others laughed.
Brian shrugged, feigning indifference. “I’m game.”
Faith frowned, then nodded. “Fine. Me too. Winner calls the bet. After the game.”
He smiled. Time to get his groove on.
Faith didn’t understand how, but he’d beaten her. Badly. She was a smart woman, could draw, sculpt and usually spell pretty well. But she’d been so distracted by the thought of Brian invested in a sex club—because she kept envisioning him participating—that she’d lost her marbles. And the game.
The sly grins he kept giving her afterward made it difficult not to squirm on the couch. She was aroused, and the jerk knew it. His gaze had settled on her breasts one too many times to be accidental. After saying goodbye to her friends and thanking her hosts with hugs and kisses, she left with Brian, realizing she’d have to sit with his smug self all the way home.
She crossed her arms in the passenger seat as he entered and started the Audi.
They sat in silence for a moment.
“I can feel you gloating,” she said.
His low chuckle did nothing but heat her blood.
“I’m the master of Cranium. Because I’m so smart, you see,” he explained. “Now, hmm. What should I lay claim to? What are my winnings worth, do you think?” He drove them back, not toward her apartment, but toward the Hill.
“Brian?”
“Relax. It’s only ten. I know you have to work tomorrow. I do too, but my clients are in the afternoon. I figure we can go back to my place for a drink...or something...while I try to decide what you owe me. You actually owe me double, since I did say double or nothing.”
She groaned.
He chuckled and rubbed her thigh, which made her blood thicken and pool between her legs. “Don’t worry. Whatever I decide won’t be anything you can’t live with.”
“I feel so much better now.”
He laughed again, and though she didn’t like to lose, she couldn’t help sharing his enjoyment. God knew if she’d won, she would be rubbing his face in it.
“I had a good time tonight,” she admitted.
“Me too. I know it might seem weird, Freddy with two guys, but she’s always been a little different.” He paused. “It wasn’t easy growing up with my dad. But luckily for Freddy, she went to live with my mom when my parents divorced.”
“And you?” She’d heard a few things about his father from Hailey, who’d heard them from Gage and Dylan. None of it good.
“I lived with my father before I saw the light and moved the hell out.”
Wanting to ease any discomfort he might have felt with the conversation, she shared, “At least you knew your father. Mine took off after knocking my mother up. A hit and run.” Oh my God. Did I really just say that? She’d grown way too comfortable talking to Brian, treating him the way she’d treated her friends.
Instead of looking horrified, he laughed. “A hit and run, eh? That’s one way of looking at it. I always thought of my father as a Mack truck that ran right over my mother. So I guess we have that in common.”
She grinned, pleased more than she could say that he had a sense of humor about himself. “What’s your mom like?”
His whole mien softened. “She’s sweet, kind of innocent still. She’s been staying with my Aunt Selma in Paris, and she’s never been happier. I’m so glad she’s finally away from my hit and run.”
“We won’t even get into talking about my mother.” Best to end that discussion before it could begin. She loved the woman, but she couldn’t say she liked her very much. “Other than her though, I have no siblings, cousins or any other family. Just my friends.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” He didn’t give her sympathy or pity, and she liked him all the more for it. “Good friends are like gold. I’m happy to say I’ve kept in touch with a few, so moving back here after being gone ten years wasn’t too hard. I still had the cornerstones for a social life. Don’t tell Harper this, but I actually enjoy his company when he’s not leering at my sister.”
She laughed. “The Warrens are good people too.”
“True. But all that togetherness feels weird to me. It was just me and Freddy for a long time.”
“I know how that feels.” Did she. “When I was dating a while back, my steady boyfriend became my center, but I never let go of my girlfriends. I love Hailey and Sydney. Amy and Beth are pretty great too.”
“I don’t think I’ve met them.”
“No, you wouldn’t have. They mostly hang with me at work and sometimes at small gatherings when it’s just us girls.” She didn’t want to think about what her friends would make of Brian. They’d be all over him like he was covered in Swiss chocolate.
He pulled in to the driveway of a huge house, one that sat in a familiar neighborhood.
“Oh, that’s right. You live near Derrick, don’t you?”
“He’s down the street, yeah.” Brian opened his garage with a button, pulled inside, then closed the door behind them.
They sat in silence before he exited and helped her out.
“Oh, um, thanks.” Nonplussed at the gentlemanly gesture, she tried not to shiver when he put his hand on the small of her back.
“Welcome to my parlor,” he said in a deep voice and gave an evil laugh.
“Very funny.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw him wink. Instead of worrying about what he might choose for his bet, or being nervous about being alone with him, she found herself enjoying his company.
Why she’d lost her nervousness, she had no idea. Perhaps their intimate sharing in the car? Treating each other like friends and not just potential fuck buddies?
He opened the door and led her into his home.
And bam, her anxiety returned.
Faith saw money everywhere she
looked. Nothing over-the-top showy, but quality furniture, countertops, appliances. She could only imagine how much he’d spent on his comfort. No doubt more than what she made in months.
It made her ashamed of what her apartment must have looked like if this was what he saw on a daily basis.
“Faith?” He frowned. “You okay?”
“I need a drink.”
He nodded. “Wine, beer, water. Whatever you want.” He moved around her and walked to the fridge.
To her amusement, when he opened it she saw his food was organized and way too neat. “You’re a little OCD, aren’t you?”
His faced reddened, and she found him absolutely adorable. Her unease about his wealth began to fade.
“I wouldn’t call myself obsessive—”
“Just compulsive?”
“Smartass.” He grabbed a water, twisted off the lid and drank.
When he finished, she took the bottle from his hands and drank—her mouth right over where he’d had his—then handed it back.
His eyes darkened. “Hmm. The bet. What should I pick for you? Something worthy of my grand win.”
“Please. You got lucky.”
“Lucky? I spelled ‘obsequious’ backwards.”
She shrugged, feeling warmer the more he stared at her. Why the hell had she not put up more of a fight over being near the man in private? She knew better. Her control over her sexual impulses improved with distance. But in close quarters? In the privacy of his own home, where no one would see her lapse in judgment?
Hell. She was dying for a repeat performance of their first time.
“How about this?” He took another swallow of water, watching her all the while.
“Yes?”
“Well...”
“Quit dragging it out, Goode.”
“Snippy little thing.” He moved in on her, and she sucked in breath. Brian leaned close, his lips almost touching her collarbone.
“Brian?” she whispered, totally turned on.
“You smell good. All the time.” He leaned back and smiled at her.
The warmth in his gaze lured her forward...until he stepped away. “Come on in to the living room.”
Swearing silently, she followed him after getting a handle on her stupid hormones. “Okay, the bet?”