Making the Grade

by Marie Harte

  “Oh?”

  Realizing how that might have sounded, he hurried to clarify. “I mean, being with you was incredible. I want to do it again. But I wanted us to know each other first. To like each other as people.” He felt like a moron when she just stared at him. He wondered if he sounded weak and needy. Maybe his father was right about him after all. “Shit. This was a mistake. I just wanted you to know the truth of what happened. It really wasn’t you. It was me.” He turned to go, wishing he could be as smooth with Faith as he was during board meetings. For that matter, he was usually pretty good at talking to women. With Faith, he seemed to constantly say or do the wrong things.

  “Brian, wait.”

  He turned to see Faith unfold from the couch.

  “Maybe…maybe we could start over.” She paused. “Just how rich are you?”

  He quirked a brow. “This is starting over?”

  “Sorry. Forget I asked. Look, I’m not into rich guys and their need to be better than everyone else.”

  “That’s not me. And for the record, I’m not into spoiled women and their need to be coddled forever. I just want to find a woman I like and can have fun with.”

  “Right.”

  “Right.”

  After a moment Faith said, “We obviously find each other attractive. We have friends in common. And we don’t want to be used.”

  “All true.” He crossed his arms over his chest and hid a grin when her gaze followed the movement and lingered.

  She glanced back at his face and nodded. “So maybe we should start over. Slowly. And we should wait on being intimate again.” Her gaze slid down his body. She bit her lip, then returned her gaze to his face.

  He hated to agree, but she made sense. “Not until we’re both comfortable with each other.”

  “Yes. That means we get to know things about each other.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like favorite colors, foods. Stuff we like and don’t like to do. Opinions on things.”

  He nodded. “I’d recommend meeting in public.” Since the truth had been working for him, he added, “Because this close to you, all I want to do is strip you down and make love to you again.”

  She swallowed. “Really?”

  Brian blew out a breath. “Hell, yeah.”

  Her gaze lowered again to his evident erection. “Oh, um. Sorry.”

  “I’ll live.”

  She smiled at him, and his heart thudded in his chest. “How about bowling tomorrow? Martinez Lanes?”

  “I’m game. I’m also a helluva bowler. You won’t cry when you lose?”

  She snorted. “Please. I can bowl you under the table, lightweight.”

  This was the Faith he’d been dying to take out. The fun, charming, sexy woman with the wide grin. “You’re on, Sumner. I’ll meet you at the alley at seven.”

  “Fine. But loser pays for the beer.”

  A bet he could live with. “Bring your wallet.”

  “You too, moneybags.”

  He left her apartment with a smile on his face. The possibilities were endless…now that he had a second chance.

  Chapter Four

  Faith bowled like a champ, but that was hardly a surprise to her.

  “I think I’ve been swindled.” Brian glared as he saw her numbers add up on the screen above them.

  “I was champ of my bowling league years ago. Of course, I played because I worked at the alley.”

  “This alley?” He stepped up, released his ball, and watched as he knocked down eight of the ten pins. “Hell.”

  “At least it’s not a split.” She sipped her sweet tea and smiled, surprised to be having so much fun.

  “So you’re a ringer. What else do you do abominably well?”

  She liked his snooty tone, especially because he was putting her on with that voice and the way he pretended to look down his nose at her. The real Brian, she was coming to find out, liked to laugh. He preferred beer to wine, pizza to anything gourmet, and jeans and a sweatshirt to a suit.

  She decided she might as well lay it all on the line for him. “I’m hell on wheels with a gun, a tent or a fishing pole.”

  He stared at her.

  “Brian, your ball is back.” She nodded at the ball return.

  “Let me get this straight. You like shooting guns, camping and fishing? And bowling,” he tacked on as he grabbed his ball.

  “Yep.”

  He shook his head, then stepped up to the lane and paused before letting the ball fly. The sneak bowled a spare, tying her score.

  “Guess I’m not the only one good at bowling,” she muttered.

  He walked back to sit beside her. As usual, just being close to him made her sizzle. No doubt about it, she and Brian had a unique chemistry. She would have sworn he was wearing some kind of cologne to attract her, but she didn’t recognize any scent on him but pure Brian Goode.

  He shook his head. “You’re too good to be true. You wear a manicure, could earn a fortune as a model if you wanted to, draw attention even in those ratty jeans—”

  “Hey.” True—they were ratty. Just another test Brian had passed by not judging her for it.

  “And you like fun stuff too. Never dated a woman who admitted to liking to fish before. I mean, getting your nails done, going to wine tastings, art museums, those I could see you liking.”

  “Now who’s stereotyping?” She rose and took her turn on the lane, doing her best to ignore his stare burning into her back. To her chagrin, she only knocked six pins down. Damn it.

  “I am, I admit. But women who look like you normally don’t ’fess up to liking manly crap.”

  “Is this some sneaky way of charming me with an obnoxious front?”

  He chuckled. “Hey, you wanted honesty. I’m giving it to you. Personally, I love your interests. Well, all except fishing. Frankly, it bores me. But hunting, camping, bowling, sure. You could add golf to the mix. It’s addictive.”

  She wouldn’t know. She’d never had the money to afford the greens fees. All the other activities she’d grown up with, a result of a poor family and living in a trailer in the bumfuck country outside of Grovetown, Georgia. She shot a rifle so they had deer during the winter. She fished so they had other things to eat beside peanut butter and jelly and ramen noodles.

  “Not a fan of golf.” She shrugged.

  “Ever been?”

  “No.”

  “We’ll have to go. Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow and hit some balls.”

  She gave him a wicked grin. “Now that sounds like fun.” He made a face and crossed his legs, and she laughed. “Doofus.”

  “Yeah, yeah, keep taunting me, sugar.” He had a Southern accent he hadn’t been able to mask, despite his years away from Augusta. She could tell he’d grown up Down South. “Still won’t keep me from beating your ass—my kind of fun.”

  She flushed. They could talk, but somehow the conversation always hit on something sexual. Even worse, she read into everything he said with her dirty, dirty mind.

  Frustrated, she tossed him a glare before knocking down the rest of the pins.

  “Ha. Take that, Goode.”

  “Bring it, Sumner.”

  They continued to banter until the last frame, when Faith pulled ahead by four points.

  “You cheated,” he complained as he walked her out to the parking lot. They’d parked next to each other, under an orange street light.

  “Oh?” She unlocked the door and moved to enter, but he stopped her.

  Just his hand on her arm made her tingle in all the wrong places.

  “Yeah. You kept wriggling that ass at me. When you bent down… I’m only human.”

  She grinned at him. “Please. You were doing your own bumping and grinding, but you don’t see me complaining.”

  He moved closer. “Yeah?”

  She put her hand on his chest to stop him and froze. The heat under her palm, as well as his racing heartbeat, aroused her like crazy. What was it about him? “Um, yea
h.” She licked her lips, not thrilled when he followed the movement with his darkening gaze. She only had so much willpower… “Brian, we’re not doing this, right?”

  “Right.” He cleared his throat. “We’re meeting in public. No sex until we know each other better.” Then he kissed her, his lips caressing hers, his breath a whisper into her body. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. “Faith, you’d better go.”

  She nodded and kissed him back, lingering over his taste. She wanted more, and damn him for not protesting when she pulled him closer.

  “Yeah, I’d better.” She settled against his erection, remembering how good he’d felt inside her. So crazy to be so in lust with the man. She still knew little about him.

  He put his hands on her hips to stop her, and she realized she’d been grinding against him to get closer.

  “Stop moving,” he growled and lowered his voice. “Unless you want me to come in my pants.”

  Knowing he wanted her, was so affected by her, gave her a heady sense of her own power. But she’d made the rules. If she wanted him to abide by them, she had to color within the lines as well.

  “Sorry.” She stopped moving while every cell in her body screamed at her to press harder. “Th-thanks for the game.”

  “My pleasure.” He took a deep breath, then stepped back, keeping his hands on her hips. “My sister is having a dinner party this Thursday. You going?”

  She nodded. “Harper texted me the invitation. He said it was a housewarming party.”

  “Yeah. For him, Freddy and Dylan.” He chuckled. “I don’t know how Freddy handles two lovers. I can barely handle one.”

  She raised a brow.

  “Sure, every guy fantasizes about two women. It’s what porn dreams are made of.”

  “Nice, Brian.” She grinned.

  “Fortunately, I’m not that crazy. One woman is hard enough. Imagine trying to deal with two women so in love with me they’d fight tooth and nail for my attention.” He winked, smoothing his arrogance with humor. “I figure one woman is all I can handle. Especially when she’s so sincere about telling me to shove it up my own ass.”

  Faith blushed. “You deserved it.”

  “I did.”

  They stared at each other, and his grip on her hips tightened before he let her go and stepped back. “So, Thursday.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  “Then Friday, you owe me a date.”

  She frowned. “I owe you?”

  “For letting you win tonight.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Something I said?” He chucked her under the chin, laughed and darted around to his car before she could curse him out. He rolled down his passenger-side window. “Thursday, Faith. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “No, I’ll meet you—”

  “Limited parking. See you at seven. Don’t be late.” He put the window up and backed out before she could argue.

  The high-handed, sexy, challenging… She touched her lips, concerned to find them still puffy from his kiss. The man was hell on her self-control. If he hadn’t pulled back, she feared what she might have done in the public parking lot. And he wanted them to drive together, alone, in a car?

  Giddy at the thought and telling herself not to be, she resolved to get a better handle on her discipline. It made no sense that she couldn’t control herself around a man. It was just sex that one time, after all. But Brian had been wonderful.

  As she drove home, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”

  “It’s me. Are you home?” Sydney.

  “No. I’m on my way.”

  “We’re coming over.” Sydney hung up before Faith could ask who the “we” was. Most likely Hailey and Sydney. The pair were thick as thieves since nailing the Warren brothers. Not that they hadn’t been tight before dating Gage and Derrick.

  Determined to withstand the tough questions sure to head her way, Faith drove home, parked and walked slowly up to her apartment, ready to face the proverbial firing squad.

  She found Hailey and Sydney laughing in front of her door.

  “Ah ha! There you are.” Sydney pulled her in for a hug. Dressed in designer jeans, a cashmere sweater and diamond earrings, the gorgeous redhead looked like she was ready for a photo shoot. Hailey looked just as pretty in her flowery dress. Weren’t pregnant women supposed to be uncomfortable and bloaty?

  “What?” Faith growled, waiting for Sydney’s lecture.

  “Really, Faith? Threadbare jeans and a sweatshirt? That’s not how you hook a man.”

  She groaned while Hailey chuckled, then let them into her apartment and motioned them to the kitchen. “Help yourselves. You know you will.”

  “Damn straight.” Sydney dropped her large purse on the counter. “But I brought good chocolates, since rumor has it you’re too stupid to hold on to gifts.”

  Faith glared at Hailey. “Big mouth.”

  “Not my fault I told the truth.” Hailey rubbed her belly. “Besides, Junior needs his momma to be honest. Lying might taint the child.”

  “Please. He’s a Warren. My bet is he leaves the womb telling tales.”

  Sydney laughed. “Good one. Yeah, I have to agree with Faith. Your kid is doomed to give you trouble. Barbara said all the boys were hellions as toddlers.” Barbara Warren—Gage, Derrick and Dylan’s mother. Faith hadn’t met her yet, but from what she’d heard, the woman was amazing. A mother-in-law both Hailey and Sydney looked forward to having.

  Which made her wonder… “Sydney, are you going to put Derrick out of his misery and say yes or what?”

  “He has to buy me a big ring. Then maybe I’ll say yes.”

  Hailey rolled her eyes. Everyone knew Sydney was gaga over Derrick. The man had only to breathe the words marry me and she’d roll over and show him her belly.

  “You two are the queens of easy.” Faith snorted and accepted some candy from Sydney. “At least I’m playing hard to get. Mostly.”

  Hailey choked on the sip of water she’d taken. “You had one night with Brian and slept with him. How is that hard to get?”

  “That doesn’t count. That was an accident.”

  Sydney cocked her head. “What? Did you slip and land over his dick?”

  “Sydney.” Hailey started laughing.

  “You have no room to talk.” Sydney turned on Hailey. “You slept with Gage on your first date. At least I had the good sense to make Derrick work for me.” Sydney gave a triumphant smile.

  “I wish I’d done that.” Faith sighed. “But if someone hadn’t lied to me about Brian, my first date might have turned out better.” She glared at Hailey. Sydney joined her.

  Hailey held up her hands. “Don’t beat on the pregnant lady. Come on. It ended well, right?”

  “So far.” Faith studied her friends, then sighed and sat down next to them at her kitchen island. “I’m so over my head with this guy. It scares me.”

  “Spill,” Sydney ordered.

  “And consume vast amounts of chocolate,” Hailey urged. “We’re here to help.”

  “I really like Brian.”

  “That’s good.” Sydney nodded.

  “No, that’s bad. Because when I’m around him, it’s really difficult not to want him. Like, for sex.”

  “Ah, super lust. I know all about it.” Hailey rubbed her belly. “Sometimes with the right guy, the sexual chemistry just is.”

  “And sometimes with the wrong guy, it just is,” Sydney countered. “I had my share of duds before Derrick. The sex was scorching, but the guys were losers.”

  “Oh, yeah. I remember.” Faith had had problems, but nothing compared to the wackos Sydney had dated. “But doesn’t Derrick trump the others?”

  “Hell yeah.” Sydney smiled. “I love him. It makes it so much better.”

  “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 o
ut, 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.