by Ella Brooke
“Oh, I don’t know,” I said coyly. “Maybe because he kissed me yesterday.”
Beth was quiet for a few seconds, then she shrieked so loudly that I ripped the phone away from my ear. It was a good thing that Beth worked from home as a copywriter, or her coworkers might’ve been calling an ambulance.
“He did what?”
“He kissed me,” I repeated, trying, and failing, to keep the smile out of my voice.
“Wait, this happened yesterday, and I’m only hearing about it now?” While she wasn’t quite shrieking anymore, her voice was several decibels higher than it should’ve been, causing a few of my colleagues to look over at me curiously.
I lowered my voice, avoiding their stares. “I’ve been trying to convince myself that it really happened, but it did.”
“How?” she breathed, having seemingly controlled herself. “Tell me everything.”
“There’s not so much to tell, actually,” I admitted, though it sounded like a lie even to my own ears. “He came over for breakfast yesterday, and we got to talking while I was cleaning up.”
“And then?” Beth prompted. “Where was Mark?”
“He went to shower before they went off to do whatever it is that they do without me. Brett and I kept talking. I went to collect his plate, but we did this weird reach for it at the same time thing, and his fork fell.”
“Ooh, and then there was just, like, sexual tension when you went to pick it up?”
“Something like that.” It was the best I could do, since I didn’t even really know what had happened to make him close that damn gap. “Anyway, next thing I knew, we were kissing.”
“Was it everything you ever wanted it to be?” Beth babbled excitedly. “Like did angels serenade you and unicorns rain down from the sky?”
“Something like that,” I said again.
Beth breathed out on an exasperated sigh. “Stop saying that. How was it? For real.”
I hesitated, trying to find the words to describe it. “It was magical. Electric. Inevitable. I don’t know. Take your pick, but it was unreal.”
“So, what’re you going to do about it?” Beth asked. “Please tell me there’s a plan?”
“There might be,” I said hesitantly. “Like I said, I want him to be the one. I just have to figure out how to make that happen.”
“What’s to figure out?” Beth asked. “If he kissed you, he must be into you, too.”
“It wasn’t that kind of kiss. It was more of a spur of the moment lips and tongues pressing against each other so quickly that I would’ve thought I’d imagined it if I hadn’t been so tingly afterward.” I felt disappointed in the knowledge that it was true.
“There’s no such thing,” Beth assured me. “Even if he just caved in the spur of the moment, it has to mean that he’s at least thought about it before.”
“You think?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” she said. “Kissing isn’t something that just happens, no matter how close your lips come to someone else’s.”
Taking a moment to think about her words, I let a little surge of hope run through me. It was true. You didn’t just go around kissing anyone who came close to you. “So, you think I should go for it, then?”
“Yes. Of course, you should go for it. That man is yummy, and I bet he is a ten in bed. Maybe even an eleven. Go for it hard, girl. Every pun intended. Let me know how it goes.”
Chapter Five
Brett
My brain had been all messed up for two days. My dick was getting the wrong idea because of it. It was starting to think that Soph was fair game.
She wasn’t.
The only thing to do was to confront the situation head on, but Sophia’s phone just kept ringing. When I’d all but given up hope that she would answer, the call finally connected, and her soft voice came over the line.
“Hey, Brett. What’s up?”
My cock, that was what. I couldn’t, and didn’t, say that however. “Not much. We need to talk though, Sophia.”
“Oh, okay. What about?”
She wanted to play it coy? I didn’t have time for that shit. As it was, paperwork was piling up on my desk, and I’d snapped at not one, not two, but three of my assistants because my thoughts kept drifting to sex. Not just sex. Pure, animalistic fucking. I was frustrated as hell.
“You know what,” I growled lowly.
Sophia paused, sucking in an audible breath. “The kiss.”
“That,” I confirmed. “Meet me tonight at Ed’s. Seven. We’ll talk.”
I didn’t really want to get into it in public, but a restaurant was a better bet than anywhere we’d be alone. My cock was too obsessed with her to meet her somewhere private.
My dick was horrifically upset that we still hadn’t broken our dry spell, and it was playing tricks on me as a result. I deserved the misery, though, for entertaining the fantasies that popped up in my head uninvited every so often.
Sophia was quiet, hesitant. “Okay. Ed’s at seven. I’ll see you there.”
“See you there.”
Satisfied that the world would right itself after our talk, I dug into the stack of paperwork with renewed focus and got through most of it before the day was out and it was time to leave. I didn’t have time to go home for a shower or to change, but it wasn’t like I was going on a date, so I figured that it didn’t matter.
Going straight from work meant that I was probably overdressed for the burger joint and cocktail bar where I was meeting Sophia, though. I stashed my tie and jacket in my Audi, rolled up the sleeves of my blue button-up shirt, and ran my hands through my hair a few times. With a quick glance in the rearview mirror, I deemed myself presentable enough and made my way into the restaurant.
Sophia wasn’t there yet when I arrived, but since the ride over had taken less time than it could’ve, I was ten minutes early. I ordered a beer and settled in for the wait.
Ed’s was retro, if you reimagined what the word meant. It drew inspiration from Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard in the 1950’s and was a curvy and sleek space spread through multiple dining rooms, bars, and lounges. It was spread over two levels that was reminiscent of places I’d seen in shows like Mad Men.
Over-sized chairs and booths fit inside a catacomb-like space with huge sparkling chandeliers and a sloping and twisting staircase. It kind of felt like a member of the Rat Pack could walk in at any time for a surprise performance.
I was seated in one the coves, a u-shaped booth which was private enough for Sophia and me to have the conversation that we needed to, but I’d also chosen one with a chandelier hanging directly overhead so it wasn’t too intimate of a setting.
A drop-dead sexy brunette walked through the doors, wearing a little black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. It was the kind of dress that was made to be bundled around her waist when you fucked its owner up against a wall. It showed just enough of her perky tits to tease the shit out of the parts that were left covered.
Her hair shone like polished teak. I squinted. Blinked.
Because the face that it framed was Sophia’s.
Fuck. I had not been expecting her to show up looking like that. She scanned the room, a smile curling on her lips when she spotted me.
When she started walking toward the cove, my vision narrowed, and my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth. Her hips swayed ever so slightly, her toned calves rippling as she moved.
The low music and hum of the other diners faded into the background. There was only Sophia. She was the one and only thing I could focus on. I stood when she neared the table, forcing an easy smile onto my face.
“Hey, Brett,” she said, sounding the same as she always did. None of my own discomfort was present in anything about her. She drew me in for a quick hug, pressing her soft body against mine for a second that ended too soon.
Had she always smelled that good? Intensely divine, vanilla fused with a deep amber. There was no other way to describe it, but really, when did I
start thinking amber had a smell?
My head was way more messed up than I realized, but there was no way I could let her know about it. That was a dangerous game that I was not playing, not with her.
Instead, I motioned toward the other side of the booth from where I was sitting. “Hey, Soph. Have a seat.”
“Thanks,” she said. Only, when she slid into the booth, she moved almost all the way to where my beer was perched on a coaster.
Okay, I could handle this. Dinner with a friend. A friend who looked and smelled better than any friend had a right to, but a friend nonetheless.
A friend who just so happens to be Mark’s little sister, I reminded myself. Following her into the booth, I stopped a few inches short of where I’d previously been seated, because any amount of distance I could maintain between us was essential. I grabbed my beer for a long pull.
From somewhere beyond my Sophia-induced haze, a waiter appeared at our table. “Can I get you something to drink, ma’am?”
Sophia nodded toward my beer. “I’ll just have a Marz as well, please.”
The waiter turned to me. “Anything else for you, sir?”
I was going to need something stronger if I was going to preserve my sanity with Sophia’s scent invading my space and the dark line of her cleavage taunting me from the way she was leaning with her elbows on the table.
“I’ll have a SoCo. Make it a double. On the rocks.”
The waiter gave us a little bow and left me to my inappropriate thoughts and the conversation I never thought I’d have to have with Sophia.
“So,” I started. “About that kiss. It was a mistake, Soph. You know that, right?”
Sophia gave me a half smile and sat back, raising a dark brow. “Wow. Straight to business then? I’m fine. Thank you for asking, Brett. I had a great day, but yesterday was a little unproductive. Mondays suck. How are you?”
Okay, so I deserved that. I pursed my lips, but I couldn’t keep them from twitching up at the corners just a bit. “I’m good. Busy, but that‘s the story of my life these days, so it‘s nothing new. I‘m with you on the Monday thing, though. About the kiss—”
“Don’t worry about it, Brett. Seriously, it was nothing. Barely a kiss.”
What? No, it was definitely not nothing, but I couldn’t let her know that it meant anything to me.
“Yeah, I guess so. It’s just that it can’t happen again. Okay?”
Sophia reached out and placed her soft hand gently over mine. “I’m not a child anymore, in case you haven’t noticed. If I tell you not to worry about it, I mean that you shouldn’t worry about it. It really was nothing.”
I hadn’t expected Sophia to be so cool about it, or to shrug it off so easily. I wasn’t being arrogant or cocky or anything. Okay, maybe I was, but that was besides the point. I wasn’t stupid. I knew that she’d harbored a bit of a crush on me for years.
It started when she was about sixteenish. The way she looked at me changed. Gradually, to be fair, but it was like she stopped looking up at me to choose her side in squabbles with her big brother and wanted me to be by her side instead.
For that reason, I thought that she would’ve read into the kiss, thought about it as the culmination of years and years of unrequited feelings. But she was watching me coolly, her posture relaxed as she sipped on the beer that the waiter had soundlessly delivered, along with my drink.
Nodding once, I removed my hand from under hers. “Okay, so we’re putting it behind us and never talking about it again. Just like that?”
“Just like that,” she said. “But if you’re ever in need of a pair of lips to make a mistake with, mine are always available.”
She flashed me a playful smile, drawing my attention to said lips. They shone with a nude gloss, accentuating their naturally pink color.
Sophia never had been one for much makeup. Her eyes were framed by long eyelashes that were only lightly brushed with mascara, and thin black lines were drawn on her eyelids. I didn’t know why her tendency to avoid wearing so much makeup turned me on, but it did.
It shouldn’t have, but the fact that she was so comfortable with herself, and with me, for that matter, made my slacks just a little tighter around the crotch.
“Thanks for the offer, but my lips never should’ve been anywhere near yours to begin with. So, I think I’ll pass.”
“Why?” she asked.
Both my eyebrows shot up, and my hand closed around the tumbler holding my liquor. I shot back half the liquid in one gulp and stared at her.
Sophia, for her part, looked completely unaffected. How was she doing that?
“You know exactly why not,” I said.
Sophia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Because I’m Mark’s sister? Is that it? Because that just seems a bit... I don’t know. Silly?”
“Silly?”
“Yes. I’m a grown woman. You’re a grown man. We’re not related to each other. Why should it matter that my brother is your friend?”
“It matters because it would hurt him. And you. I’m not the guy you’re looking for, Soph. I promise you that.”
“How do know what I’m looking for?” she asked.
“Because you told me that weekend we all went to Florida, remember?”
That was one crazy-ass weekend. I didn’t even know if she would remember our drunken conversation about relationships.
“Plus,” I added. “You’re not only my best friend’s little sister, you’re also a virgin. Saving it for someone special?”
“Not special, necessarily. Just someone who’s going to remember my name the next morning and who won’t hurt me. You know... physically.”
“What?” My blood ran cold. “What do you mean hurt you?”
“Some of my friends...” She trailed off. “Let’s just say they didn’t have the greatest of experiences. I feel like I’m worth more than that.”
“Yeah you are.”
I couldn’t believe that there were guys out there who wouldn’t take care of the girl they slept with, especially if it was her first fucking time. Sure, some pain was unavoidable, but from Sophia’s answer, I was going to go ahead and assume that wasn’t where it ended.
“Good, I’m glad you agree,” Sophia said, taking a deep breath. “Because I’m ready to lose it.”
Say what now? The thought of her with some guy like that was downright aggravating. “With who?”
“Well,” she said, the calm veneer finally starting to crack. “I was hoping that it could be with you.”
Fuck. Me. Sideways.
Chapter Six
Sophia
Stunned wasn’t nearly a strong enough a word to describe the expression on Brett’s face.
My heart was slamming against my ribs so hard that I was sure he would be able to hear it, but outwardly, I thought that I might have managed to remain reasonably calm.
Inside, I was a mess. I had been since I stepped into the restaurant with the intention of asking him that question.
Actually, I was a nervous wreck the whole damn day leading up to it. As soon as his smiling face popped up on my screen that morning, I’d practically broken out in hives.
This was my one shot. If I took it and missed, not only would I never be able to look Brett in the eyes again, but I would also undoubtedly be extra embarrassed when I finally did because I would be reminded of this very moment.
This could end up as an epic failure of magnificent proportions.
“Why me?” Brett asked, his voice low and surprisingly serious. His jaw was set, and his eyes locked on mine.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I was impressed by how even my voice sounded. “I trust you, Brett.”
And there was a minor chance that the reason I hadn’t lost it yet was because I’d always been saving it for him, but hey, I wasn’t going to say that.
Brett’s gray eyes seemed almost clear in the light, softened, then changed. There was suddenly a gleam in them that I hadn’t seen before.
�
��When?” he asked.
My heart stuttered to a stop, then started galloping even faster than before. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’ve clearly given this some thought. Suppose I say yes. When did you have in mind for this to happen between us?”
“Are you saying yes?” I asked.
“Depends.”
“On?”
“There would have to be some rules,” he said.
There was at least one obvious one I could immediately think about. “Mark can never find out about it?”
Brett nodded slowly, like he was a little dazed by the direction our evening had taken. Hell, I knew that I was. I couldn’t believe that he was actually considering it, but he was. My long shot might just have a hit the target.
Butterflies the size of bats zoomed around in my stomach, lodging themselves in the lining. There was a stirring between my legs that was steadily building to an ache the more it sank in that there was actually a chance that this was happening.
“That’s one,” Brett said, dropping his chin to look at me over the bridge of his nose. “And it’s the golden rule. I mean it, Soph. He can never, ever under any circumstances whatsoever, even know that we had this conversation. There’s no bending, skirting, or breaking that rule.”
“Consider it done.” I didn’t want Mark finding out any more than Brett did. He would kill Brett, make me watch, and then possibly kill me, too. Not a desirable outcome.
Brett gave me long look. “And if I say yes, you have to know that it’s a one-time thing.”
“One night and one night only?” I tried to joke, but Brett didn’t look amused. He leaned forward, his elbows on the polished wood of the table.
“One night,” he said. “The only reason I’m even considering this, despite the fact that Mark would cut off my dick if he knew that I was, is because I care about you. You’ve been a friend for a long time, and I don’t want some asshole hurting you. You know what they say. If you want something done right...”
“Do it yourself,” I finished for him.
Brett nodded. “Exactly. Back to the original question. When did you want to do this?”