by Lynn LaFleur
What Are Friends For?
by
Lynn LaFleur
E-book Edition
Copyright© 2011 by Lynn LaFleur
Cover by Lynn LaFleur
All rights reserved. This e-book is licensed for individual readership only. No portion of this e-book may be resold or redistributed in any format. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and unintentional by the author.
To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at www.lynnlafleur.com
Chapter One
The sound of his doorbell seeped into Luke Duvall’s brain. Hoping he imagined the annoying noise, he burrowed his head farther into his pillow. The sound repeated a few seconds later. And a few seconds after that. Unable to ignore the summons, he lifted his head and peered at the digital clock on the nightstand. Luke groaned. Someone better be in the middle of an emergency to ring his doorbell at seven o’clock on a Saturday morning.
Luke threw off the covers and staggered to his feet. A wave of dizziness made him grab his head to make sure it stayed attached to his body. He shouldn’t have had that last shot of tequila with his brother John. Or last three shots.
Another burst from his doorbell urged him to head for the front door. It had to be his best friend, Erin Snyder. He didn’t know anyone else who would dare to bother him this early on Saturday. Erin had no concept of time. When she wanted to talk to him, she showed up with no warning.
Ten feet from the door, he realized he was naked. He doubted Erin would notice since she didn’t look at him as a man, but simply a friend. However, he didn’t want to accidentally flash his neighbors. He backtracked to his bedroom, pulled on a pair of denim cutoffs, then returned to the living room.
Erin breezed past him as soon as he unlocked the door and pulled it open. “I have one question for you,” she said, her back to him.
“Good morning to you too.”
She turned to face him. “Why are all men inconsiderate idiots?”
Translation—Erin had broken up with her latest significant other. “I can’t possibly answer that question until I’ve had caffeine.”
Luke led the way through his house to the kitchen, not bothering to check if Erin followed him. He knew she would. After four years of friendship, there wasn’t much about Erin he didn’t know.
“What happened this time?” he asked as he filled the coffee carafe with water.
“The same thing that always happens.” Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. Her arms pushed up the mounds, giving him a very nice view of the top of her breasts in the round neck of her sleeveless dress. He and Erin might be only friends, but that didn’t mean he didn’t find her attractive. Very attractive. Her slim body, huge green eyes and long, curly blond hair all combined to make her stunning.
“Want to elaborate a bit on that?”
“The sex was lousy.”
Outspoken and honest as usual. Luke didn’t expect anything less from her. Nor did he flinch at her telling him something so personal. They’d spent many evenings curled up on his couch, talking about family, jobs, men, women, sex. It had always been easy for him to talk to Erin, or for him to listen to her.
He scooped coffee into the filter, pressed the button to start the liquid caffeine brewing. “Why?”
Rolling her eyes, Erin released a frustrated huff. “If I knew why, don’t you think I would’ve fixed it?”
“Not if you don’t know how.”
“I can’t know how when guys won’t talk to me.” She seemed to deflate before him, like a balloon slowly losing its air. “I don’t know what I do wrong, Luke. I try so hard, but the guys… Once we have sex, they don’t ask me out again.”
“Sounds like you’re dating the wrong kind of guys.”
“I guess.” She blew out a deep breath, ruffling the wispy bangs on her forehead. “Dating sucks.”
“Amen to that.”
Luke knew exactly how to make Erin feel better. He went to the pantry and removed the plastic container of chocolate chip cookies his mother gave him yesterday. “How about some cookies to go with our coffee?”
Her eyes widened in pleasure. “Your mom’s?”
“None other.”
“I’ll get the napkins.”
His stomach wanted protein, like bacon and eggs, but he’d rather put the smile back on Erin’s face than worry about his stomach. He could eat something healthier than cookies later.
Luke poured two large mugs of coffee, set them on the table in the breakfast nook, then went to the refrigerator for the liquid creamer for Erin. He usually teased her about liking a little coffee with her cream. He decided to hold off on the teasing today since she needed support more than ribbing. He grabbed a spoon for her coffee, sat at the table opposite her.
“What’s the inconsiderate idiot’s name?” he asked, taking the lid off the cookie container. The scent of chocolate wafted to his nostrils, making his stomach growl. He picked up one and ate half in a single bite.
“Gary.” Erin took two cookies from the container and laid them on her napkin. “I met him last month when he came in the agency to see about booking a cruise for his parents’ anniversary.”
“Sounds like a generous guy.”
“That’s what I thought too.” She broke a cookie in half and took a bite. “Oh wow, this is good. Your mom makes the best cookies.” Erin laid down her treat, picked up the coffee mug. “I figured any guy who would lay out that kind of money for his parents had to be considerate and thoughtful. And he seemed to be on our first two dates.”
“What happened on the third date?”
“We had sex.”
When she said nothing else, he prompted her. “And?”
“And what?”
“Did he ask you out for a fourth date?”
“No.”
Damn. That Gary guy was an idiot. “Did he at least say he’d call?”
“Oh, sure. But he hasn’t.”
Scratch idiot. Gary was a moron. If things didn’t click with a woman, Luke told her so up front instead of giving her the “I’ll call” line. “You said the sex was lousy. Why was it lousy?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe it wasn’t lousy, but it wasn’t…what I want.”
“What do you want?”
Erin set down her mug and stared into it, as if the answer to his question could be found in the hot liquid. “I want a connection, something that makes me feel there could be more than just sex.”
“Don’t you think you should give the guy more time? You can’t expect to fall in love after the third date.”
“Why not?” She raised her head and looked at him. The tears shimmering in her eyes tugged at his heart. “My parents did. They fell in love on their first date. That was thirty-five years ago and they’re still in love. I want that too, Luke.”
He understood how she felt. Seeing his two brothers and one of his sisters happily married with children had awakened a yearning inside him, one he tried to appease by dating any woman he could. He hadn’t done any better in the satisfaction department than Erin. The orgasms left him feeling more empty than fulfilled.
“Maybe it’s me.” Erin picked up her half cookie and broke it into two more halves. “Maybe I’m lousy in bed.”
He didn’t believe that for a second. “No way.”
“How can you say that? You don’t know. We’ve never had sex.”
“Of course
we haven’t.”
She dropped all the cookie pieces to scatter across her napkin and onto the table. Pain flashed through her eyes. “Why do you say it that way, like you can’t stand the thought of touching me?”
Okay, Duvall, you have to fix this before you dig a hole you’ll never get out of. “You’re my best friend, Erin. I can get sex anytime. I can’t find another best friend.”
She looked at him for so long, he almost fidgeted in his chair. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Have you ever thought of me sexually?”
What man who saw you wouldn’t think of sex? “Erin, you’re a beautiful woman. I’ve seen you in a swimsuit lots of times and you have a killer body. Plus you have all that long blond hair that can wrap around a guy’s fingers. Your eyes are…” He stopped before he admitted looking into her eyes made him think of cool sheets and moonlight shining on naked bodies.
“My eyes are what?”
“Nothing.” Needing some time away from her, he grabbed his mug and carried it to the coffeepot. “Do you want a refill?”
She didn’t answer him, but he sensed her walk up behind him. He quickly replaced the carafe on the warming plate before he dropped it.
“My eyes are what, Luke?” she asked.
Her low, husky voice caressed his cock. Shit. He didn’t want to develop a full-blown erection in front of her.
She touched his back, between his shoulder blades. Her hand felt cool against his skin that suddenly seemed stretched too tight. “Finish your sentence, Luke. I need to know. Please. I need something positive right now.”
He turned to face her. Once again, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. He did what he’d done dozens of times since he’d known her—he drew her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head, rested his cheek on it. “Your eyes are as beautiful as everything else about you. The only problem you have… Well, okay, you have more than one.”
His arms tightened around her when she tensed as if to pull away from him. “We all have problems or quirks or whatever you want to call them, Erin. Your main one is a lack of patience. Two of your friends recently got married. Your sister had a baby. You’re looking in from the outside and wanting what they have. I understand that.”
“You do?”
“Sure. Guys want love and happiness too. We just aren’t sappy about it the way women are.”
He heard her chuckle, which made him feel a lot better. She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled at him. “You’re good for me, do you know that?”
“Hey, what are friends for?” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Do you work today?”
Erin nodded, took a step back so they no longer touched. “From nine to two. I have a couple coming in the agency today who are planning an around-the-world trip for their twenty-fifth anniversary.”
“Wow. That should be a nice commission for you.”
“I can use it. My air conditioner isn’t cooling as well as it should.”
“That’s because you won’t let me replace it. Your unit has to be close to twenty years old.”
Erin frowned. “Luke, I don’t have an extra ten grand in my checking account for a new central air unit.”
“It wouldn’t cost that much.”
“However much it costs, I can’t do it. I can barely afford for you to fix my old one. Even though you don’t charge me for your time, I still have to pay for parts.”
“At my cost, which is what you’ll pay for the new unit. And you can pay it out for as long as you need to. No interest. It’s August in Texas. You can’t be without A/C. I can check the schedule for an open spot and install the new unit next week.”
He’d decided a long time ago that owning a heating and air conditioning company gave him the right to help his family and friends as much as possible. He took enough of a wage to support himself and left the rest in the company. He’d rather pay out bonuses to his employees than have a huge chunk of money in his personal bank account.
She wiggled her mouth back and forth. Luke recognized that gesture as one Erin used when she was trying to make a decision. “I’ll think about it.”
“It’ll pay for itself over time with what you’ll save in electricity—“
“Okay, I said I’d think about it.” Erin rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, you can be so bossy sometimes.”
“It’s part of my charm.”
Erin laughed. “Yes, it is.” She grabbed a paper towel off the roll by the sink. “I’m going to take some cookies with me.”
He knew she would. Erin couldn’t resist his mother’s homemade cookies. “Help yourself. Just leave me a couple, okay?”
She flashed him an impish grin. “Maybe.”
Grinning too, he watched her wrap four cookies in the paper towel. “Come back when you get off work for a swim. I’ll grill some steaks for supper.”
“Sounds great. I’ll pick up a bottle of wine.” She waved at him over her shoulder as she walked away. “Later, dude.”
Chapter Two
Erin straightened the colorful travel brochures on her desk. She’d collected several of them to show the Jeffersons when they arrived. They’d mentioned they wanted to visit Europe, Asia and Australia. When she showed them all the information she had about African safaris, she knew they would want to go to that continent too.
Erin would love to take the same trip she planned to recommend to the Jeffersons. Maybe not to all those places, but at least to Europe. England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria—her list got a bit longer every year. She kept telling herself someday.
She also told herself someday she’d find a man who would love her. That hadn’t happened yet, nor did it appear it would happen any time soon.
It had to be her. She had to be doing something wrong in bed. Maybe she was too clingy, or not clingy enough. Maybe she was too passionate, or not passionate enough. She loved sex—a lot—and once was never enough for her. She liked multiple orgasms and always wanted a second round, even when her lover wasn’t quite “up” to it yet.
Whatever she was—or wasn’t—in bed, she rarely got past the first sex session before she never heard from the guy again.
A relationship couldn’t be built if the guy never called her.
Erin considered herself a modern woman. At twenty-nine, she had a job she adored that supported her, even if sometimes money was a little tight. She called herself a homeowner, although the bank owned a lot more of her house than she did. However, she believed some things should be done the old-fashioned way, such as the man asking the woman for a date.
Her girlfriends told her sometimes she had to be the aggressor, to go after the man she wanted. That didn’t work for Erin. Besides, she hadn’t dated anyone in the last few years who made her heart pound with just the sound of his voice. That’s what she wanted—that breathless, flushed, have-to-touch-him feeling she hadn’t experienced since her first love in college.
She wouldn’t settle for anything less.
The bell over the door snagged Erin’s attention. Her friend and co-worker Zoe walked in, carrying a small white bag. She walked over to Erin’s desk and held out the bag to her.
“I brought you a cheesecake brownie.”
Erin groaned. “I love those.”
“I know you do. And since you shared Luke’s mother’s cookies with me, I’m returning the favor. I know how you need your afternoon sugar fix.”
Erin could always depend on the cute redhead to take care of her. She pinched off a bite of the brownie and popped it in her mouth. She groaned again. “Oh, that’s so good. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Zoe took the chair at her desk, placed her purse in the desk drawer. “Have the Jeffersons come and gone already?”
“No. He called while you were at lunch to say they were running about twenty minutes late. They’ll be here soon.”
“That won’t mess up your plans, will it?”
“What plans?”
“Don’t you have a date wit
h Gary tonight?”
She and Zoe had been so busy this morning, she hadn’t had the chance to tell her friend about Gary’s lack of follow-up to their last date. “There is no more Gary.”
“Wow. He didn’t last long.”
“They never do.” Her stomach now churning too much to eat, Erin placed the rest of her brownie back in the bag and folded the top. “I’m giving up on men. They aren’t worth the hassle.”
Zoe gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t be that way. Not all men are bad.”
“You can say that since you got the last good man out there. Peter is a prince.”
Zoe’s sympathetic look turned to one of a woman in the throes of newly wedded bliss. She sighed in pleasure. “Yes, he is.”
Envy stabbed Erin in the stomach. It pleased her to see her friend so happy, yet she couldn’t help being jealous that she couldn’t experience the same happiness herself.
“I’ve decided it has to be me,” Erin said. “Men give up on me after we’ve had sex. I have to be lousy in bed.”
“I doubt that, Erin.”
“Well, what other reason could there be? Gary and I really clicked. I enjoyed our first two dates. We had sex on the third one. That was last Saturday and I haven’t heard a word from him since.”
Zoe turned her chair toward Erin. “You called it sex instead of making love.”
Erin waved a hand in the air, irritated that Zoe picked up on something so trivial. “Semantics.”
“No, it isn’t. There’s a big difference between sex and lovemaking, Erin. Both have their place, depending on the mood. But it seems to me if you really clicked with Gary, you’d say you made love with him.”
“Why does it matter what I call it?”
“Because there’s a difference,” Zoe said slowly, as if to emphasize her point. “When’s the last time you made love with a guy?”
Erin had to think before she answered that question. Not that she’d had dozens of lovers since she discovered men were really nice to have around, but she had to think about the last time she’d felt really close to a guy. There’d only been one and he had trampled on her heart. “In college. I was ridiculously in love.”