*****
Erin checked the time. To her surprise, it was only nine fifteen. She’d thought she’d be sleeping in this morning till about eleven or so, considering how late Brad had kept her up. He’d made her eat the leftovers in the fridge and drink lots of water.
Taking those headache tablets the both times she’d got up in the middle of the night to pee had helped too. Now, apart from tiredness, she was feeling generally okay.
Oh, Brad had been so caring. She’d always known that about him, but last night was the first time she had been the sole object of his thoughtful attention.
And she! She’d been such a huge flirt!
She covered her face, laughing and feeling mortified. She couldn’t believe she’d been so shameless.
Did she regret her actions?
Honestly... no. In fact, it had been liberating. Yes, that was a revelation. She’d never felt so free. She should get tipsy around Brad more often.
Unfortunately, Brad had been the perfect gentleman all night, repeatedly insisting he didn’t want to take advantage of her temporary lack of inhibition. But did that mean he would be more receptive to her advances if he knew she wasn’t affected by alcohol? Or had he said that just to be nice?
Only one way to find out, Erin.
Hm. Would she dare?
Her nerves jangled. No. She couldn’t do it without the aid of alcohol. Besides, what a totally ridiculous idea. Brad would be living with her for seven months. If he rejected her while she was stone-cold sober, how awkward would it be for the two of them?
Argh. What had happened to her declarations of being immune to his charms? She grabbed her phone from her bedside table, needing someone to drill some sense into her brain.
“Hey, Lex,” she said when her friend answered.
“Hey! How was last night?”
“I got drunk.”
“Did you?” Lexie said with a laugh. “From memory, the first and last time you got really drunk was when you discovered that Brad had started dating Miss Pop Star. You were bawling your eyes out in my bedroom and Mum heard. She came in and you blabbered that you were in love with her son. Remember that?”
“Yes,” she said dryly.
“So what did you get up to last night?”
She paused. How was she going to say this?
“Erin,” Lexie said in a horrified voice. “You didn’t tell Brad that you think he’s the hunkiest guy in the world, did you?”
She grimaced. “Worse,” she croaked.
Lexie gasped. “Tell me!”
“I flirted outrageously with him.”
“What? Did you sleep together?”
“No,” she said with a snicker. “He said he didn’t want to take advantage of me.”
Lexie exhaled audibly. “Good.”
“Lexie...” she said in a whining tone.
“What?”
“I want to,” she admitted in a small voice.
“Erin! I thought you said you didn’t have feelings for Brad anymore.”
“I don’t. Well, apart from feelings of... you know.”
She worried her bottom lip as she waited for Lexie to respond.
“I strongly suggest you forget about it, Erin,” Lexie said, her voice quiet.
“I should. But he’s really hot, so why the hell not? It’s not that I’m after a relationship. I’m just craving for some physical action with a hot guy. That’s not a bad thing, is it? I’m just human, and Brad is the handiest one around that I can trust.”
That was only partially true. She didn’t want anyone else but Brad because, heaven help her, she’d felt some sort of freedom when she’d flirted with him last night. She wasn’t prepared to just chuck her newfound courage away.
“Are you asking for my permission?” Lexie asked.
“No. I’m asking for your advice.”
“I just gave it to you.”
“I know. But if I can keep my heart out of the equation, do you still think it’s a bad idea?”
“How do you know for sure that you can keep your heart out of the equation?”
“Because I know your brother. He’s not my happily-ever-after type. In fact, he’s not any woman’s happily-ever-after type. When I realised that years ago, my emotions got turned off. But not my body, unfortunately.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. What if you’re lying to yourself about your feelings for him?”
“I’m not,” she insisted. “And what’s wrong with having fun? Just because I plan to stay single for a while doesn’t mean I’ve stopped having sexual needs or urges.”
Lexie exhaled loudly. “Well, at the end of the day, it’s your decision. And I guess if you just wanna play around, then Brad’s an incredibly decent guy to do that with.”
“Yes!” she said, glad that her friend was validating the route she wanted to take. “I’ll update you with what I eventually decide.”
“Okay,” Lexie said with resignation.
“Thanks, Lex. Love ya.”
“Love you too. But don’t say that to Brad. Or he’ll be out of there in a flash.”
“I won’t,” she said with a laugh.
“Take it easy on my brother.”
“I’ll let him be as bad as he wants to be with me. I reckon that’ll be so good.”
“Oh, God,” Lexie groaned. “I better go before I hear any more of this.”
“Okay, hon. Bye,” she said, laughing.
Butterflies floated in her tummy as she hung up the phone. Was she for real? After years of successfully brushing off her attraction for Brad, she was succumbing again? What the hell had happened?
But, damn it, how many times had she held herself back from going after what she wanted for fear that she might not get it? She bet that in a few days or weeks, she’d regret not acting on this opportunity, then she’d berate herself for not taking the chance when it had been available to her. Did she really want to be sorry that she’d wasted the momentum she’d built last night with Brad?
No.
So she was really going to go through with this?
Yes.
Phew.
Thank God for being tipsy last night. She most definitely wouldn’t even be thinking this if she hadn’t enjoyed being so honest with herself.
So how would she go about seducing Brad? And what would she do if he said no?
She took a deep breath and shrugged. While she still had some courage remaining in her system, she shouldn’t talk herself out of this. All she needed to do was put out feelers first, see how he reacted, then decide her next course of action.
Yep. That was all she needed to do right now.
With a spring in her step and ignoring her slightly heavy head, she headed to the only bathroom across the hall in the sexy lingerie she’d worn last night.
She chuckled. She’d planned on knocking on Brad’s door after putting on her revealing nightwear. But she’d been so sleepy that she’d fallen into her bed and promptly gone to dreamland. Too bad Brad hadn’t gotten to see her in it. Was he still around, or had he gone to work? The man was such a workaholic that weekends didn’t mean anything to him.
She tested the bathroom doorknob and found it was unlocked. Brad wasn’t in there. She pushed it open and gasped.
Brad’s mouth hung open as he stared at her in surprise. “Erin! Sorry. I should have locked the door. I didn’t think you’d be up this early. How are you feeling?”
“Um...” Stop gawking, Erin.
But how could she when all Brad had on was a towel wrapped low around his waist. Holy. Smoking. Hell.
She scratched her eyebrow, unable to look away from his ripped torso, and that V dipping under that damned towel.
“I’m... uh... done,” Brad said hoarsely. “I’ll... get out of your way.”
She nodded, her gaze catching a movement behind the material covering him. Her eyes widened and she had to bite her lip to stop the smile spreading on her face.
“Sorry,” Brad said sh
eepishly, tightening the towel around his waist and angling himself so he wasn’t facing her fully.
Oh, yes. Something was definitely growing between his legs.
She marshalled her courage. “Why are you sorry?” she asked.
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Not happening, Erin.”
She leaned casually against the door frame. “Why not? I’m not drunk anymore.”
The surprise in Brad’s face was priceless. “Are you serious?”
She smiled shyly and shrugged. “Would it be such a bad idea?”
Brad’s eyes swept through her, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his gaze lingered on her breasts, then travelled further down. He shut his eyes and shook his head. “Lexie would kill me.”
“No, she won’t,” she croaked, heat suffusing her as his erection grew larger. He really wanted her too!
“Then you’ll want to kill me when all is said and done,” he said wryly.
“What do you mean?”
“Erin, you know I care a lot about you. But I’m not after a relationship. I don’t want us to end up ruining our friendship.”
“I’m not after a relationship either, Brad. Believe it or not, I’m really only interested in sex with you, nothing more.”
“That’s what the others have said,” he said with a smirk.
“I mean it,” she said insistently. “Did you know that I had a serious crush on you when I was nineteen? But watching you break women’s hearts time after time made me realise that you’re not forever-guy material. I got over you emotionally years ago because you don’t embody my vision of a life partner. There’s nothing about you that makes me think I want a romance between us. And I’m not even looking for romance from anyone at this point, anyway. But I still find you incredibly hot. That’s just a fact. What’s so wrong in being honest about that?” Her face was burning, but she kept eye contact with Brad, who looked stunned at her declaration. Well, she was proud of herself for opening up.
“You’re not just saying that?” Brad asked after a long pause.
“Why would I lie about this when our friendship is at stake? I wouldn’t put what we have on the line just to see if I could snag you as a boyfriend. Besides, I know you well enough to know that that would be a futile exercise. But to be clear, I’m not interested in having you for a boyfriend. Well, except for being a fake one,” she said with a grin.
A slow smile spread on Brad’s face. “So,” he said, walking slowly towards her. “You really just want sex?”
She gulped, and nodded. “And to be honest, I want to prove to myself that Kevin was wrong when he said I was lacking in bed.”
Brad cupped her face. “Kevin is a moron. I bet we’ll prove him wrong,” he said softly before leaning down to plant a sweet kiss on her lips.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Was this finally happening? She was going to have sex with Brad? She couldn’t quite believe it.
Brad pulled away. “We’ll talk more about this tonight, okay?”
“More talk? You’re not sure if you want it?” she asked, disappointed.
“Oh, I do want it, Erin. No doubt about that. But I want to be sure you’re fully sober. I’ll go to work and see you tonight.”
She rolled her eyes. “I might just change my mind because you’re playing so hard to get,” she muttered.
“Then we’ll know for sure if this is what you really want,” he said softly, running his thumbs down her cheeks before kissing her forehead and leaving the bathroom.
Argh. What a frustratingly sweet, considerate man.
Her heart was pumping hard, and a voice was trying to whisper something to her.
She pushed it away. She didn’t want to be scared off from this. She wanted Brad. She wanted to do something authentic and honest for herself. She deserved to simply enjoy, didn’t she? And damn it, she was already so looking forward to it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brad shut the door of his bedroom and stood in front of the dresser. He placed his hands on his hips and frowned at his image in the mirror.
“What the fuck did you just agree to, Bradley Mead?” he said under his breath.
But, try as he might, he couldn’t get angry with himself. How could he, when he’d spent a sleepless night trying to convince himself that turning down Erin’s advances had been a good idea? And how good had it felt making himself come while thinking about her?
A smile tugged his lips. If Erin was serious about what she’d just said a few minutes ago, then why not? They had a strong friendship that had developed over the years. She was fully aware of his disinterest in a relationship. She knew the score, and she was clear on what she herself wanted.
So, yeah, why the hell not?
He sighed, glancing at his door. He was still horny from seeing her in that ultra-sexy lingerie. Damn. That piece of clothing did nothing to hide her perky breasts and skimpy underwear. Fuck. Now he was even harder.
“Go to the gym, then go to work, Brad,” he ordered, but he knew his day would be spent looking forward to tonight.
Oh, plus he needed to swing by his parents’ on his way home later to pick up his mother’s engagement ring.
*****
“Is this good enough?”
“What do you mean?” Brad asked his mother as she handed him her ring.
“Well, I love it and it’s beautiful, but the diamond is slightly less than a carat. Of course, when your father bought it years ago, it was all he could afford, so I wouldn’t exchange it for the world. But if you were to buy one for a real fiancée, I would assume you’d be giving her something bigger, wouldn’t you?”
Brad stared critically at the ring. His mother was right. It was much smaller than what people would expect him to get his fiancée. If this ring was to show James Coyte and Warren Oliver that he was truly engaged, they’d laugh at his show of love for the woman he wanted to marry. He bet Valerie’s ring was, at the very least, three times the size of this.
“You’re right, Mum. This wouldn’t do. The people who need to believe I’m engaged would think I’m low on cash.”
“You can buy a much bigger one, then resell it later on when you don’t need it anymore,” Vivian said.
“Okay. I don’t think I have any other choice.”
“I’m worried about this situation you find yourself in, Brad. Why is this happening? Why is someone wanting to destroy your reputation and business?”
“Just a competitor keen to win at all costs. I’ll find a way to out him one day.”
“And Erin’s okay with all this? You’re not forcing her into anything?”
He smiled. “No.”
Vivian grabbed his arm and led him to the couch. “I want to tell you something.”
“What?”
“I hope Erin wouldn’t mind me telling you this, but I think you should know.” Vivian paused, sighing hard. “When she was around nineteen or so, she had a thing for you.”
“I know,” he said with a laugh. “She told me.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. She’s over that. Apparently, my inability to commit to anyone has put her off me permanently. You don’t have to worry about us.”
“She was so distraught back then,” Vivian said, pursing her lips. “You started going out with that singer, and there she was, crying in your sister’s bedroom, telling me how much she loved you and asking why you never noticed her.”
Brad’s eyebrows rose. Erin had said she loved him? She’d used the word “crush” earlier on when they’d been talking.
Meh, she was just a teenager then. It could only have been some deep infatuation. Besides, she’d sworn this morning she didn’t have anything for him emotionally anymore, apart from friendship and wanting his body. He believed her.
“Just be careful about leading her on, okay?”
“Don’t worry, Mum. And I better get a new ring before the shops close,” he said, checking his watch. “Except that I have no idea where to go.”
“Why don�
��t you ask your brother-in-law? That ring he gave Lexie was beautiful.”
“I guess,” he said, pulling out his phone.
“Hey, bro,” Rick answered.
“Hey. Need your help.”
“Sure.”
“Where did you get Lexie’s engagement ring?”
“Why?” Rick asked suspiciously.
“I need one for my fake engagement with Erin.”
“I thought you were borrowing your mum’s.”
“It’s too small. It’ll just make it easier for people to believe I’m having cash flow problems.”
“So you’re buying Erin a real engagement ring?”
“Well, a real diamond ring.”
“Hm.”
“Hm, what?”
“Big step, bro,” Rick said teasingly.
“Hey, don’t you get any ideas.”
“Big step, what?” he heard Lexie say in the background.
“Brad’s buying Erin a real, big engagement ring.”
Then Lexie was on the line. “Why?”
Brad rolled his eyes as he explained the situation to his sister. Geez. Why did they have to make such a big deal out of this?
“Seriously, I hope the two of you know what you’re getting into,” Lexie said.
“For the two of us, this is straightforward and clear,” he said with impatience. “It’s you guys who are imagining something out of nothing. Erin and I are comfortable with this fake engagement.” And the sleeping together that they’d agreed to this morning. But no one else needed to know about that. Heaven knew what kind of hoopla his family would create if they got wind of that.
“Okay,” Lexie said. “Guess we just have to let you guys do what you think you have to do.”
“Yup.”
“Well, then. Make sure Erin has a gorgeous ring you both can be proud of. And don’t let that Warren Freaking Oliver continue to mess around with your livelihood.”
“I won’t, sis,” he said affectionately.
“Here’s Rick.”
Rick gave him the direct line of a jeweller in the city. For some reason, Brad was excited about shopping for a ring.
*****
The delicious aroma of Erin’s famous butter chicken dish assailed Brad’s senses as he entered the apartment. Yum. One of his favourites.
The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love Book 4) Page 6