What Lola Wants

by Calista Fox

  In elementary school, it had made her batty that his pencils never had dull tips and that he always colored within the lines. She’d had the urge even back then to disrupt his anal retentive ways, without even knowing why. She’d done little things to throw him for a loop, like change up the order of his crayons in the box, which he’d always grouped by hues from the lightest to the darkest shades.

  In junior high, she’d known his locker combination and had occasionally broken in to rearrange his alphabetized books on the shelf. High school had been even more fun, pilfering his car keys and secretly moving his Nissan Altima from one spot to another in the parking lot, confusing the hell out of him.

  Lola hadn’t been able to help herself. Alex had never gotten mad.

  Exasperated? Yes. Mad? Nope.

  Her antics were her way of letting him know she was thinking about him—that she liked him and that they’d always be best friends. Sort of the reverse of a boy tugging on a girl’s ponytail during class.

  He must’ve understood that years ago, and that was why he didn’t get pissed. Thankfully. As she’d told Maxi, Lola couldn’t imagine a life without Alex in it.

  And though she hadn’t admitted it to her coworker that night in Baltimore, Lola actually had considered once or twice if she and Alex should experiment with something more than friendship.

  Pointless.

  She sipped her wine, needing to move past the little nugget Maxi had left her with that night they’d split a bottle of champagne before Lola had headed back to Arizona.

  Alex had never expressed interest in her, sexually. Sure, she’d caught him and Pete Murray gawking at her breasts from time to time, back in the day. But, hell, practically every guy in school had done that, since she’d had an unexpected growth spurt the summer before they’d entered eleventh grade. An awkward one, at that. Given her mother’s svelte frame, Lola hadn’t been prepared for all the curves she’d ended up with. And hadn’t liked how tongue-tied her figure had left the kids in school. Even some of the girls.

  Thinking back to those painful days left her in need of splashing a bit more merlot into her glass.

  At least Alex had kept his composure around her. Because he wasn’t attracted to her like that. He’d always gone for petite brunettes who were more math-club types than cheerleaders. Though Lola had quit the squad mid-season that year because even the tightest jog bra couldn’t still her bouncy chest without cutting off her circulation.

  In addition to her not being Alex’s romantic cup of tea, she knew there could never be anything serious between them because she honestly did turn his world upside down more often than not. She couldn’t help but shake things up in a fun way, never one for status quo and certainly never wanting to find herself in a rut. Or with her own crayons lined up in a perfect spectrum. Chances were good she’d miss out on that one special color if she didn’t have to hunt it down.

  However, she couldn’t deny that she needed Alex’s steadying presence to ground her from time to time. Like now, as she acclimated to her new job. Her new life, really.

  Lola vowed to herself not to rattle Alex’s cage while staying with him. Not too much, anyway. It was sort of a natural compulsion. Everyone should have a little excitement in their lives. A few twists and turns.

  Regardless, she tidied up the breakfast bar, relegating herself to her room so Alex would have the space he needed to adjust to her being there. He deserved that from her.

  She slipped off the stool just as he came through the door, though, foiling her good intentions.

  “Thought you were having beers at Pete’s,” she casually said.

  “A beer.” He gave her a once-over, shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants, and shook his head. “What are you wearing?”

  “Huh?” She glanced down at her short, red-lace nightie. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon, and I was just looking at my notes before I go to bed.”

  “You do own a robe, right?”

  “Actually, no.”

  His jaw tightened.

  “Jeez, Alex. It’s just a nightie.” She set aside her papers and wine. “What’s the big deal?”

  “Nothing.” He disappeared into his room but came back seconds later, carrying a plush, navy-colored robe with a gold emblem on the chest from a fancy New York hotel where he’d attended this year’s insurance convention. Or maybe it’d been last year. She couldn’t keep track.

  Thrusting it at her, he said, “Do me a favor and cover up while you’re here.”

  Lola eyed him curiously. “Alex, women wear less than this on the beach. On TV, even.”

  He stared unwaveringly, his eyes locking with hers. As though he didn’t dare look anywhere else but her face.

  “Yes, I have breasts,” she announced. “Newsflash! Not.”

  “Just wear the robe, Lo.”

  She took a step closer to him, but didn’t accept the garment he offered. “What is going on?”

  “There are reflective surfaces in my condo. I’m sure you can see—on you—that is much more than ‘just a nightie.’”

  Her gaze dropped again. Okay, so there was a healthy amount of cleavage on display. Not to mention thigh. Maybe a little ass cheek. Whatever.

  She glanced up at Alex—and caught the flash of lust in his eyes. Possibly because there weren’t glasses to deflect the unexpected expression?

  Something clicked in her brain.

  “Alex—”

  Oh, no way…

  A smile spread slowly over her lips. “Oh, my God.”

  He shook his head again. “Don’t make anything out of this.”

  Too. Late.

  Was she imagining this—or had something between them changed?

  Holy cow!

  Her body instantly gravitated to his as she took a step toward him, barely realizing it. “Alex—you’re hot for me.”

  He groaned. “No, I’m not.”

  “Liar.”

  She’d seen that look before, after all. On other men.

  Her gaze roved him from head to toe. He appeared thoroughly disgruntled. In a very sexy way. Completely unkempt. So not his style. His dark hair was unruly, which likely made him crazed, since he was an every-strand-in-its-proper-place kind of guy. He’d rolled up his sleeves and had loosened his tie. Something she’d never known him to do. He didn’t go for the disheveled look, but it totally worked for him. Especially with his current brooding, which made her skin tingle.

  What if…?

  Her breath hitched.

  Maxi had nailed it—Alex had become tall, dark, and delicious. He was single and, alas, hetero as far as she knew.

  Sure, Lola was unpredictable and impulsive. So very different from him in every conceivable way. Yet… opposites attracted, right?

  But wait.

  What the hell are you thinking?

  Her spinning curiosity came to a screeching halt. Alex was so not her idea of a hot hookup.

  Well, maybe it could be hot. He had chiseled facial features and broad shoulders. Really nice hands, with long, blunt-tipped fingers and neatly trimmed nails.

  And though it seemed that he tried not to devour her with a hungry gaze… he did.

  She beamed, rocking back and forth on her bare heels as exhilaration trilled down her spine. “When did this happen?”

  He draped the robe over the high back of an upholstered stool and moved past her, heading toward the living room. Lola scurried behind him.

  Alex whirled around and wagged one of those long fingers in her face. “You know you have a sexy body. All I’m asking is that you don’t flaunt your wares while you’re here.”

  Lightning streaked through the room, accompanied by a low rumble of thunder. The storm was dying down, but even inside the condo, the air was muggy and thick. And, no, it wasn’t just the tempest causing the crackle between her and Alex. She was suddenly very aware of him, causing a spark of heat to blaze through her. Sending a tickle along her clit.

  Alex had always bee
n her best friend, her sounding board, her coconspirator. But he’d been much too meticulous for a girl like her. Yet tonight he had an edgy and powerfully attractive air about him, even more so than that bartender she’d found enticing at the lounge in Baltimore Harbor when she’d celebrated with Maxi. Alex had that same I’ll do you up right look about him.

  Alex?

  Her Alex? The guy who’d balked at every wild hair she’d ever gotten?

  And had then caved to her every whim…

  Wow. Excitement danced along her skin.

  Would he cave to this?

  “We should definitely talk about what’s happening here,” she said, knowing there was a suggestive glint in her eyes.

  “Nothing to talk about.”

  Yeah, he could be an immovable force when he wanted to be. But Lola had discovered long ago that sometimes her fabulous best friend just needed a nudge in the right direction.

  “Alex.” She boldly placed a hand on his chest and felt the muscles flex beneath her touch. Exciting her even more. And making her near desperate to unbutton his shirt and get a glimpse at what he really had going on behind his tailored clothes. “You’ve got my mind whirling with all sorts of naughty thoughts.”

  His jaw clenched. The expression on his face turned smoldering. It did the most interesting things to Lola’s insides, igniting a firestorm the likes of which she’d never experienced.

  “Alex,” she repeated on a heavy breath as she practically incinerated from the inside out at his sensual, heated gaze. “When did you learn to deliver such a scorching look?”

  He smirked. A bad-boy smirk. An I could easily make you come ten times in an hour if given a chance smirk.

  Good God, even her thighs went up in flames.

  This completely unraveled Alex was hotter than hell!

  Dropping her hand as though it’d been scalded, she took a step back. Her tone was slightly breathless as she said, “I realize we haven’t seen each other in a while, but something is very different about you tonight.”

  And every second in his sizzling presence left Lola dying to know exactly how intense it could really be between the two of them.

  Alex’s gaze remained riveted on her. Still smoldering. But he said, “Let it go, Lo.”

  Yeah, that’d probably be best, except… her libido could use a little CPR. Okay. A lot of CPR. The way Alex practically gobbled her up in her lingerie made her think there might be something to the friends-with-benefits concept after all.

  Boy, oh, boy.

  Indeed, everyone needed some twists and turns in life.

  She took a step closer to him. He stared down at her, not bothering to hide the look of desire that stole her breath.

  Yet it appeared as though he warred between gripping her arms, hauling her up against his massive chest, and kissing her until she melted at his feet, or… walking away.

  “Isn’t this interesting?” she mused in a quiet voice.

  A dark brow jerked up. All right, so Lola wasn’t known for her subtlety.

  Alex said, “We’re best friends. Let’s not blur any lines. Just… keep your clothes on.”

  He stalked off.

  Lola watched him go, her chest still heaving from exhilaration, a dozen what if? scenarios racing through her brain. One in particular…

  The smile returned to her face.

  Oh, Alex.

  He should know better than to issue a challenge when it came to her.

  * * *

  What. The. Hell. Had. Happened?

  Alex asked himself that question for about the millionth time since he’d left Lola in the living room. He’d barely gotten any sleep because his mind had churned with thoughts of how everything had gotten out of hand with her. And how much more out of hand he’d wanted it to get.

  Lola in a red-lace nightie had made his cock spring to life. Like he was some horny teenager sneaking a peek at a Playboy centerfold for the first time.

  What the fuck was that all about?

  As much as he’d chided himself about the constant state of arousal he’d be in with her around, he hadn’t really thought he’d be that much of a caveman. Yet he’d all but ogled her, for God’s sake.

  It wasn’t as though he hadn’t seen her in shorts and a tank top before. Then again, she’d never been so scantily clad so close to his bed and a condom.

  Tired of tossing and turning, he left before she was up and headed to the gym to work off some of his stress. Pete had turned him on to weight lifting a few years ago and had also insisted Alex join his bar’s softball team, when Alex had had a bit too much time and loneliness on his hands since Lola had moved away. It was either that or spend his nights playing Halo online and missing her like crazy.

  Unfortunately, forty-five minutes of pumping iron and an hour of cardio did nothing to relieve the sexual tension. Only one thing would do that.

  Or, more accurately, only one woman.

  Lola.

  Yeah. He was totally screwed.

  * * *

  Lola flitted around the kitchen, sipping the fancy coffee Alex had brewed in a French press she wouldn’t even begin to know how to operate. She flipped through the newspaper, a bundle of nervous energy. So much so, she’d gotten little sleep. Her new job started today. She could hardly wait to get to the office, but it was still a bit early.

  Alex had left before she’d emerged from the shower. Too bad. She wanted to talk to him about what had happened the night before. In addition to thinking about her new position on the Marketing team, she’d lain in bed contemplating those searing looks Alex had given her. Once she’d busted him, he hadn’t been able to conceal them.

  She couldn’t help but wonder how long he’d been hiding his attraction. Then realized she’d done the same for some time. Maybe not so much hiding an attraction, but the fact that she found him appealing in a hero-worship sort of way. Alex had always been her knight in shining armor.

  Like when a wayward football had accidentally hit her in the face on the playground in the third grade. Alex had been there to pinch her nose, calmly and gently, while she panicked and cried. He’d sopped up the blood with the tails of his shirt, despite it being his favorite one.

  Or the first time two boys had fought over her in junior high, each wanting to carry her books to class. Alex had swooped in and told them ice cream was being served in the commons area and they’d rushed off, arguing over who would bring a cone back for Lola.

  He’d suffered a bit of harassment over the fabrication, but since Lola—one of the most popular girls in school—had stuck by him, no one had messed with him too much. At least, not that she’d been aware of.

  Alex had always excelled at defusing tense situations, which was something she’d admired about him from the beginning. Despite his awkward phases, he had a very cool head on his shoulders. Sure, his transformation from nerd to hottie had been a slow one. Yet she couldn’t deny it had finally come about. He’d knocked her socks off yesterday. Even more so last night.

  In his own way, Alex had been attractive while growing up, but Lola had never really mentioned to him that she thought he was good-looking, except in passing. Like when she’d ask why he only dated casually, instead of getting involved more seriously with someone.

  Why hadn’t he gotten involved more seriously with someone?

  Why hadn’t she?

  For most of her life, Lola had had her fair share of admirers. But in her adult years, she’d never experienced that “gotta have him right now” chemistry with anyone. Yet the tingles had run rampant the previous evening. And continued to this morning.

  Interesting.

  Though not something she could dwell on at the moment. She dressed in her favorite two-toned, pewter-colored suit and Staci Kay purple-suede Mary Janes and drove the rental car to her new office.

  Tiff, the admin for the department, met her at the receptionist’s desk and showed her around the architecturally appealing building, with its sleek lines and trendy furnishings.
Excitement raced through Lola as reality sank in. After three years with the company, she’d finally made it into Marketing.

  Todd Connelly, the VP she’d cornered outside the men’s room in Baltimore, introduced her to the team. Then he explained, “We meet every morning to discuss the projects we’re working on.” They took seats at a conference table, along with six others. “That way we’re all on the same page, can coalesce resources if need be, and coordinate scheduling with our ad agency.”

  Her excitement escalated, and Lola all but vibrated in her chair. She’d been assigned the Web campaign she’d pitched, and Connelly had told her when he’d moved her into the position that it was the biggest project the department would focus on this quarter.

  Her brainchild.

  The team went around the table, giving their various progress reports and updating charts on the whiteboards mounted to the walls. Lola’s turn came last. All eyes landed on her. And the shrewd scrutiny from her colleagues did not go unnoticed by Lola.

  She was the outsider who’d invaded their turf.

  Since Lola didn’t have an actual update at this point, Connelly said, “I’ve already tasked everyone with finding creative ways to take your concept to the next level.”

  Huh?

  The corners of her mouth dipped. She went a bit cold. She glanced around the table at the unyielding gazes, her stomach suddenly knotting.

  Sophisticated Sarah tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and said, “The take-charge-in-stilettos female executive and lover concept is fierce and fantastic, but the static campaign is much too passive.” Her voice held a note of listen and learn, newb. “We need edgy trailers so that when someone mouses over an ad, Staci comes strolling across their computer screen, yanking viewers’ attention as she shows off her sexy shoes.”

  “While promoting the empowerment of women,” studious-looking Jen added, hitching her chic glasses up her nose.

  Metrosexual Mark jumped in. “We need more than just Staci in the ads. We need diversity—women of all shapes and sizes, different ethnicities and ages. We’re not just selling stilettos. We manufacture boots, sandals, flats, et cetera. Staci Kay shoes are a statement piece that should be a staple accessory for the full female demographic. We don’t appeal to everyone with the current concept.”