Dirty at 30 (Love Without Batteries Book 1)

by Cassandra Lawson

  Rather than laughing along with me, Luke’s cheeks heated, which was an interesting reaction, but I decided to ignore it—for now. I’d definitely bring it up later. We’re friends, so it’s my job to fuck with him.

  ME: If I help your friend, you have to promise not to talk to me about vibrators again.

  CHELS: No deal. We both know you’re going to help her. I’ll send you her number, and you can arrange a time to meet up.

  ME: See what her schedule is like, and I’ll meet with her at her home next week.

  CHELS: Why her home? How about a coffee shop?

  ME: I might need to ask her some sensitive questions, so it would be easier if we weren’t in public. I can call her if it’s too much of a hassle, but I figured it would be less awkward for her to arrange the meeting with you. I’ll text you the times I’m free next week.

  I might have felt guilty about lying to my sister under other circumstances, but the last thing I wanted was Chelsea giving Brook an update on how I’d been these last six years. I’d either come across sounding like a man-whore or completely pathetic. It would depend on my sister’s mood.

  “What was that all about?” Luke asked. “I know it was more than just talk about your sister’s underwear.”

  “Chelsea asked me to help Brook find your dad so she can serve him with papers,” I explained.

  Luke chuckled. “I guess you’ll get your chance to ask Brook out sooner than I expected.”

  “Yes, I will,” I agreed with a smug grin. “First, I need to help her find your dad,” I reminded him. “Can you send me any information you have that might help me?”

  “Sure, I’ll do anything to help Brook get completely free of my dad,” Luke replied with a shrug.

  This was the first case I’d been excited about in more than a year. Then again, this was the first case I’d taken with a really big payout. I couldn’t wait to see Brook again. I’d spent years viewing her as an unattainable fantasy, but things had definitely changed. Every pore of my body was screaming that Brook was mine, and I was looking forward to convincing her of that.

  Chapter Three

  Brook

  Since Luke had left for college, my house felt really empty, and it definitely didn’t feel like home anymore. Technically, it wasn’t my house. My name wasn’t on the deed, and I didn’t pay for anything. I was more like a long-term squatter. Rob had inherited the house from his parents, along with several other pieces of residential and commercial real estate. It was a nice four bedroom home in an older part of Danville. I’d considered moving several times, but it seemed smarter to stockpile the money I’d be paying in rent to buy my own place when I finally moved.

  There’d never been a time when I’d thought Rob was coming back, and I wasn’t sad to have him gone. Had Rob stayed, I would have left eventually, and I’d always believed Luke was better off with me than his father. It had definitely been strange being responsible for a teen when I was still in my teens. Having not come from the most nurturing environment myself, one would expect I’d be as distant as Rob with Luke, but Delaney always told me I was born to mother those around me. In our little group of friends, I was the one who reminded everyone of the designated driver schedule and birthdays. I stopped by with soup when someone was sick. I’d always suspected my nurturing side was the reason Rob had married me. He’d simply been looking for someone to take care of Luke so he could stop pretending to be an adult.

  I’d been looking at condos for sale, even though I couldn’t buy yet. When I’d insisted on moving out of Rob’s home in the next month, my attorney had strongly advised against it. When I’d refused to back down, assuring her I had no intention of asking for the house in the divorce, she’d recommended renting, in case the divorce took an ugly turn. Personally, I didn’t see that happening. Rob had much more to lose if we started arguing about property. I didn’t expect any resistance regarding the divorce.

  I was excited about moving forward with my life. I’d been surprised that Chelsea’s brother was willing to meet with me this soon, and even more surprised he wanted to meet at my home.

  I smiled, wondering if Chelsea’s brother was attractive. She’d never shown me any pictures or mentioned his age. Since she had such a thing for romances involving the younger sister falling in love with her big brother’s friend, I’d always assumed he was a few years older with blond hair and blue eyes like Chelsea. I was pretty sure Chelsea had said he was single. A small smile played on my lips as I wondered if Chelsea would mind me lusting after her brother if he ended up being hot. Sexy private investigator? That would definitely make for a great fantasy. I could picture him coming into the room, promising to do anything to help me get my divorce through so we could start a torrid affair. Shirtless. He would definitely be shirtless with broad shoulders and toned abs.

  The doorbell pulled me from my sexy private investigator fantasy, which was probably just as well since it was Chelsea’s brother I was fantasizing about. I definitely needed a man, considering how turned on I was getting from thinking about a guy I’d never met.

  Pulling open the door, I came face to face with six feet of hotness in black dress pants and a deep blue shirt that was a near match for his eyes. I was about ready to fan myself before realizing how ridiculous that would be. Ty Jameson had been Luke’s best friend in high school, and he’d been a cute teen. With black hair, deep blue eyes, and dimples, he’d been the kind of guy teen girls went for. Now? Oh. My. God. The years had been good to him. Ty had gone from cute to panty-dropping sexy. The soft lines of his angular face had become harsher, and it was obvious he spent a lot of time at the gym. With bronze skin, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, he was a sight to behold. As the faint scent of his spicy cologne wrapped around me, I was tempted to inhale deeply. I hadn’t seen Ty in six years, not since Luke’s high school graduation, and I was struggling for words in his presence, which was crazy. I’d never been attracted to Ty. Then again, he’d only been eighteen the last time I’d seen him, still a kid in many ways.

  He was watching me with a strange expression on his face, and it almost seemed he could read my reaction to his presence. I seriously hoped that wasn’t the case, because I might die of embarrassment if he knew I was checking him out.

  Ty’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Hey there, Mrs. Robinson,” he murmured with a slight rasp to his voice that made his greeting seem sensual and somewhat naughty.

  Clearing my throat, I tried to sound unaffected by his presence. “What are you doing here, Ty?” I asked, before realizing how rude I sounded. “I just meant, Luke has his own place now. I’ve also told you countless times to call me Brook. I don’t actually go by Mrs. Robinson anymore. I never got around to changing my last name when I got married, so I decided to just switch back to using my maiden name when I opened up my graphic design business.” For the first time in years, I felt like a babbling idiot, and it was over a guy who was totally off-limits. This had the makings of one of those forbidden love novels. I was not going to drag Ty into the house and offer to show him how to pleasure a woman. That thought almost made me laugh since something told me Ty didn’t need any help pleasing a woman.

  Bad Brook! I must not think about Ty pleasuring any woman, especially not me. My internal scolding didn’t seem to be helping.

  “I’m not here to see Luke,” he explained when I finally got my mouth to stop moving. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” I gestured for him to enter.

  Ty looked around, toying with the end of his belt with one hand. “You painted in here,” he remarked, making me wonder if he was experiencing the same nervousness I was.

  I nodded as I led him into the living room. “Yeah, I put up with white walls for six years. After Luke went away to college, I decided to paint. Without my soccer mom responsibilities to keep me busy, I had too much time on my hands.”

  Ty let out a startled bark of laughter. “Soccer mom? I’m not sure anyone would have ever described you as a s
occer mom. I sure never saw you that way.”

  “My stepson was on the soccer team, and I went to all the games. I’d say that made me a soccer mom,” I argued. “I should have bought a minivan.”

  Ty didn’t laugh, and his smile faded as his gaze locked with mine. “I’ve missed you,” he told me, his words sounding sensual and inviting.

  Swallowing hard, I tried to look away, but I felt almost compelled to hold his gaze. The sudden surge of lust that hit me came as a complete surprise, and I wasn’t sure what to say. I had no idea why Ty was here, but I needed space to try to get my sex-deprived body to understand that it was not okay to lust after Ty.

  “Listen, I don’t want to be rude, but I have a meeting,” I began, breaking eye contact and moving to lean against the door jamb at the far end of the room. “Actually, he should already be here.” I looked at the time and wondered what was keeping Chelsea’s brother. No longer was I thinking of him as potential fantasy material, probably because he couldn’t compare to the man standing in front of me.

  “Who are you meeting?” he asked.

  “One of my friends recommended a private investigator to help me with my divorce,” I replied, before realizing I was an idiot. “Chelsea said his name was Tyler, and I just assumed his last name was Edgewood, like hers, which is crazy since Edgewood is her married name. You’re Chelsea’s brother?”

  He nodded, looking annoyingly amused, but still pretty damn sexy, and I was left wondering if this could get any more awkward. Not only was I attracted to Luke’s best friend, I was also attracted to Chelsea’s younger brother. I’d thought it was wrong to fantasize about Chelsea’s brother when he was older. Somehow, it seemed worse to be fantasizing about her younger brother. I seriously needed to get it together. I could do this. I was an adult, and I could have a rational conversation with a sexy man without thinking about sex.

  Inner-pep-talk complete, I nodded. “This is good. You being the one who’s going to help me find Rob, I mean. I’ve known you for years, and I won’t have to explain everything to you. I also trust you.”

  “I’m glad you trust me,” Ty said.

  “Of course. You’re like family, Ty.” I pasted an overly bright smile.

  “Wrong answer,” Ty murmured as he stalked across the room toward me.

  Chapter Four

  Ty

  If I’d believed for one moment Brook thought of me as family, I’d have handled business and left. I’m not saying I’m so noble I wouldn’t have found other excuses to see her and convince her we’d be good together. What I wasn’t willing to do was let her push me away, or pretend she felt nothing when it was obvious she was feeling the same attraction I was. It had been impossible to miss the way Brook kept checking me out.

  Dressed casually in tight blue jeans and a red v-neck top, her outfit did a great job of displaying her lean, athletic build with her slender hips and breasts that looked like they were made for my hands. I was dying to cup them and test their weight before teasing her nipples with my tongue. I’d been hard since the moment she answered the door, and I was about ready to explode at this point.

  Brook didn’t move as I approached her, just stayed pressed against the door jamb, her hands behind her, like she was tied there. She looked like some sexy offering waiting for me to claim her, and fuck me how I wanted to claim her. Her pink lips parted ever so slightly, and I leaned into her. Her perfume had been driving me crazy since I’d walked into the house, a sweet vanilla scent that reminded me of cupcakes. “One thing you need to understand up front is I don’t like lies,” I murmured, my voice thick with arousal.

  “Ty,” Brook began, her tongue darting out to wet her lower lip, making my dick throb painfully.

  “There is absolutely nothing innocent or familial about what I feel for you, and based on your reaction, you sure as hell don’t see me as some close relative.”

  “No, I don’t see you that way,” she admitted in a breathy voice.

  “I’m going to kiss you,” I told her. My lips brushed against hers, barely touching, just a taste of what was to come. Her eyes drifted shut, and I used one hand to hold her chin in place as my mouth moved against hers. When she sighed, I took advantage of her parted lips to slide my tongue into her mouth, drinking in her moan as I struggled to control myself. One hand was fisted at my side in an effort to keep from wrapping that arm around her lower back to pull her close. I wanted her body pressed tightly against mine so she could feel how she affected me. I wanted her to know how hard I was and that it was all for her, but she wasn’t just some one-night stand or fuck buddy, and I didn’t want to treat her that way.

  Brook’s hands pushed against my chest, and I reluctantly broke the kiss, releasing my hold on her chin. Still, I didn’t step back, even when Brook looked down and took several deep breaths.

  “What are we doing?” she asked.

  “If you have to ask, then I must be doing something wrong,” I drawled, trying to put Brook at ease.

  Looking up, she flashed a sweet smile. “I figured that part out. It’s been a long time for me, but I still remember what kissing is.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, brushing my thumb across her lower lip. “I’d be happy to demonstrate again. I can show you as many times as you need.”

  Brook let out a soft laugh before looking away again. “I’m still married. While I realize it’s not much of a marriage, I need to move forward with the divorce before I do anything more. Can we just work on finding Rob for now? After I’ve served Rob with the papers, we can talk.”

  I stepped back, mostly to give myself some space so I wouldn’t give in to the temptation to kiss her until she forgot all her reasons for waiting to be with me. That would be a total dick move after she’d just pushed me away. Brook wasn’t ready to take things further today, but I had no doubt she would be. That kiss had been hot as fuck, and it had only made me more determined to make Brook mine. I’d spent too many years comparing every woman to the one standing in front of me.

  “I emailed the details to you before I headed over here,” I began. “In the email, I included the name of a process server in that area who owes me a favor. Just give him a call, and he’ll serve the papers as soon as you get them to him.”

  “Already?” Brook asked, eyes wide with surprise.

  “I stayed up late working on this,” I admitted. “I was motivated to find him.” My gaze locked with hers, wanting her to see the hunger I felt for her. Based on the fine tremor that ran through her body, she understood.

  “Thank you,” Brook said quietly, looking like she wasn’t sure how to react. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing,” I stated, sounding unintentionally curt. “I won’t take your money.”

  “I don’t need charity,” Brook argued, before flashing a guilty smile. “That came out sounding really bitchy. What I meant is that I was planning to pay someone to do this, and I’d like to pay you. If you won’t accept money, maybe we can agree on something else.”

  I knew she wasn’t offering sex, but my mind immediately went down that track. Then again, my mind seemed to be fixated on getting Brook naked. Maybe I could blame it on the lack of sleep. It hadn’t been my intention to stay up all night working on finding Brook’s asshole husband, but it had beat lying in bed, tossing and turning while thinking about Brook.

  “I’m sure we can work something out,” I murmured.

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how bad that sounded. Thankfully, Brook didn’t seem the least bit offended. She started laughing.

  “That sounded much less perverted in my head,” I assured her.

  “It sounded like a line from a porno,” she told me around her giggles. Her voice sounded high-pitched and breathy when she next spoke. “I can’t afford to pay you. Isn’t there some way we can work this out?” She batted her eyes for effect before another fit of giggles overtook her.

  Her laughter continued, and I found myself laughing with her. She was right; it reall
y did sound like something from a porno, which had me wondering something.

  “Watch a lot of porn?” I asked, hoping she’d say yes, because I liked the idea of her touching herself while she watched it. And just like that, my erection was back, making me wonder if it was possible to have a conversation with Brook that didn’t turn me on.

  “I don’t watch porn, but I read plenty of erotica,” she admitted with a grin. “I always picture porn as being a guy’s version of erotica with cheesy plots and unrealistic sound effects.”

  “Unrealistic sound effects?” I asked, not following her.

  “Tell me if I’m right in assuming the women all sound like this.” Her eyes closed, and she tossed her head back as she let out a loud moan. “Oh, Carlos! Yes, Carlos!” Then she made a high squealing sound before laughing again.

  When I’d thought my dick couldn’t get any harder, I’d been dead wrong. There was no denying the sounds she’d made were funny, but they had me wondering what she’d sound like when I made her come. I was dying to know if she’d climax with a moan or a scream. I’d bet she was a screamer, and I wanted nothing more than to suckle her pussy until I found out.

  Fuck me! I was so horny, driving was going to be a real challenge.

  Brook’s smile faded, reminding me I was having a conversation with her, and she was waiting for me to say something.

  With a smile I hoped didn’t look forced, I responded, “You’re right. Your moans sounded fake.”

  “I have a conference call in a little while,” Brook began, sounding nervous again, which was not what I wanted.

  “Fuck it,” I said, and before she could react, I pulled her against my chest and kissed her. My tongue invaded her mouth, and her needy whimper encouraged me. There was no resistance, no hesitation. Brook gave me everything. Pressing her body against mine, I savored her complete surrender. Her hands gripped my biceps tightly as she moaned against my mouth. I knew I could take this as far as I wanted, because she no longer seemed capable of remembering her reasons for pushing me away moments ago. My aching dick was practically begging me to strip her naked and make her mine. While I still had enough sense to know what a mistake that would be, I pulled away, taking several steps back to put some distance between me and the temptation of her body.