I stopped mid-bite and blinked multiple times. Beck had to have told him about the carbs—no guy ever noticed details like that. The first bite seemed to right the world, put it back on the proper axis. I moaned in pleasure when the spice hit my taste buds—it could have been the wine, but the food was delicious. “Nothing in particular.”
Collier settled in to eat and chat. It should have been awkward, I hadn’t invited him over, I looked like I’d been beaten in a boxing match—hell, I didn’t even have a bra on—but instead, it was oddly familiar.
“Dating trouble?”
I groaned and rolled my eyes while stuffing my face with another enormous bite of food and then nodded. “When did this get so hard?”
“Puberty?”
“Oh, come on. I doubt you’ve ever been turned down. My guess is you were the heartbreaker.”
He scoffed. “Hardly. Adolescence was not good to me. Then add Beck to the mix, and I spent more time fighting off her suitors than chasing any of mine. It wasn’t until college that I managed to come into my own, and then my parents died, and I became a full-time caregiver to my sister.”
“So you’ve never been in a relationship?”
“Just one. But she couldn’t stand my sister, and we constantly fought about cutting Beck off.” He plucked at his food with his chopsticks before adding, “I may complain about her, but that doesn’t give anyone else the right to. What about you?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a serious relationship. They aren’t really my thing.” I shrugged. They weren’t. After Chris, I quit trying.
“So what happened with the ex? Was she nasty to you?”
I had to carefully navigate my choice of pronouns. “Not so much as the new girlfriend.” I didn’t want him asking more questions than I could answer, so I chose to offer a bit more insight without detail. “I was on a date, and she called me a hag in front of the girl I was with…and loudly enough for people in the next county to hear.”
He regarded me for a moment before speaking. “You know that’s not true, right? I mean, I don’t know how old you are exactly, but you could easily pass for your late twenties.”
“Thirty-nine. But thank you.”
“No shit? Thirty-nine?” His surprise appeared genuine, which softened the blow just a tad. “Look, Giselle. I don’t claim to know what chicks dig, but any woman would be a fool to pass you up. You’re gorgeous, have a slammin’ body, and you’re pretty sweet. My sister thinks the world of you, and your friends seem to as well. Don’t let some bitter bitch get you down.”
“Thanks, Collier. I appreciate that.”
“West.”
I blew off his need for me to call him by his last name. I liked his first name. I didn’t want to call him West. He wasn’t related to Kanye and Kim. Although, it did make me reconsider the personality disorder. Maybe Brutus was more of a South. And North could be his asshole persona, the frigid side of who he was. West was definitely the carefree one of the bunch, but I’d yet to meet East.
We spent the rest of the evening gorging ourselves on Chinese food, and he polished off the open bottle of wine. I loved that he let me watch reality bullshit on TV and didn’t really even give me a hard time about it. He took one end of the couch, and I took the other with my feet resting on his chest. He’d casually rubbed my soles but never acknowledged it—just did it because he wanted to. I didn’t know what to do with a man who didn’t want anything from me. He knew he wasn’t going to get in my pants but still wanted to hang out. Maybe he needed someone as much as I did—someone without expectations.
9
I slammed the door behind me and pulled the buds out of my ears with the music still blaring. Dripping with sweat, I turned off my iPod after I pulled the band from my arm. I’d slept in later than I should have on a Saturday, and once again, I paid the price with temperatures that were a solid ten degrees warmer than they would have been had I gone out running an hour earlier. I stripped off the tank top that clung to my skin in the foyer with the intention of dumping all my sweaty clothing in the laundry room before taking a shower. But before I could make it down the hall, my doorbell rang with a knock that quickly followed.
I peeked out the window to see Collier’s car parked in the driveway. Jesus. I quickly glanced at the clock before springing the door open. Standing before me in khaki shorts and a Darth Vader T-shirt was my friend’s twin brother…in flip-flops. He was adorably cute in this casual motif, but the smirk on his face reminded me that I was half-dressed in a wet sports bra and running shorts. Unfortunately, the tank top in my hand was far too gross to put back on, so I was stuck looking like a drowned rat.
“Hey, Collier. What are you doing here?” It wasn’t that I minded his showing up, but I didn’t like being seen without makeup, and sweat wasn’t attractive on anyone.
“Hey. Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?”
“I just got back from running. What’s up?” I hadn’t invited him in and didn’t plan to unless the need arose. The shower called my name.
“Oh. Do you do that every day?”
“Every one. So?” I knew it was rude, but I was standing in a puddle of my own filth while he shot the breeze about my exercise habits.
“So there’s a car show in North Haven…and I thought you might want to go. It’s all vintage, and we won’t be able to drive any of them, but I thought with your dad’s love of classics you might be interested.” His uncertainty was cute. Hell, he was cute. Too bad he thought I’d gone deep-sea diving between his sister’s legs.
“I don’t know. I haven’t showered…and I’m—”
“Please?”
I didn’t have anything better to do with my day. At least this would get me out in the sunshine and give me company before a lonely Saturday night. I told him to make himself at home and skipped off to take the fastest shower in history. I didn’t want him lingering in my living room or rummaging through the house.
There was something great about having a male friend who didn’t think you were into one-eyed pythons. I didn’t have to worry about picking out the cutest outfit in record time, or making sure my makeup was perfect. I threw on a fitted pink T-shirt, cream-colored shorts, and flip-flops. I hadn’t even bothered to dry my hair entirely and wrapped it up in a perfectly tousled bun. With lip gloss and mascara, I was ready to go. I grabbed my sunglasses and purse and bounced into the living room to find him waiting patiently. He wasn’t grunting about how long I took, he didn’t complain about the way I dressed, and he didn’t bitch at me when the wine bottles from dinner days ago were still sitting on the coffee table. Although, I noticed they’d been cleaned off along with the trash I’d left there as well. Collier just gave me a silent once-over and grinned.
“You ready?”
I bubbled with excitement. Old cars brought back fond memories for me, and sadly, this was the closest thing I’d had to intimacy in ages. It wasn’t a date, but being with Collier was just easy. I’d insisted on driving my car since he refused to allow me access to his. Being behind the wheel of the Camaro was better than any date I’d had with BOB in recent weeks. Even if there wasn’t any penetration, I was more aroused than I should have been. Collier seemed apprehensive to be a passenger, but I was ready to wow him with my driving prowess. The smile on my lips threatened to break my face.
He folded his hands in front of his chest in mock prayer. “God, give me strength.”
“You’re so melodramatic. I swear I won’t redline it or go over a hundred. Scout’s honor.” I winked at him and took off toward the car, giggling.
I slid into the seat, and the leather welcomed my skin like a marshmallow, molding around me in warm comfort. My eyes closed as I set my hands in my lap just to become one with the vehicle. The scent of the leather filled my senses, and I stretched my feet out to the pedals, firmly pressing the clutch to the floor, and my right hovered over the brake. A smile graced my face, and I opened my eyes to find the gearshift. When I wrapped my hand
around the knob, I glanced over at Collier to catch a grin on his cheeks and a sly look in his eyes.
“Trust me, Collier. I respect the car.” And I did. Men never got that about me. It wasn’t just the speed the engine was capable of—it was the way it purred, the vibrations, the hum. My dad had taught me to appreciate the power. Collier was about to see just how much I loved automobiles.
He shook his head as though he didn’t believe me, but he’d see. I may be a girl about everything else in my life, but this was one area I’d rival any man. He punched the address into the GPS, and I eased out of the driveway. Shifting out of reverse and into first, the transition went smoothly. I slid my sunglasses down my face and couldn’t help the grin that snuck across my lips. I played it cautiously until I hit the on-ramp to the interstate, but the instant the tires turned onto the ramp, I engaged, running through the gears before we joined the stream of traffic, and hit the highway at a hundred miles an hour. When I glanced over, his smirk told me he was impressed. I didn’t push the limits and didn’t take chances, but I enjoyed the drive. My core hummed, my center warmed, I hadn’t been this turned on in months…maybe years. Sadly…I hadn’t even been touched. I didn’t know why driving gave me confidence, but when everything was wrong in the world, getting behind a steering wheel brought me nirvana, and doing it with Collier next to me took it to a whole new dimension. It had replaced the lack of physical affection in my life, but maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
The car show was enormous. Rows and rows of cars lined the field with hoods propped up, doors open to expose the interiors, and proud owners lingering to answer questions. Some of the vehicles were for sale, but the number of zeros after those dollar signs exceeded my financial possibilities. When we reached the Mustangs, my heart tried to explode. The excitement for old cars was ridiculous.
“Giselle?”
I swung my head around, meeting Collier’s eyes. “Yeah?”
“What do you think?”
I couldn’t stop the gush. “I’m enamored. I could spend hours staring at these cars. My dad would be in heaven. I love seeing the ones that have been restored to their original condition. Most restoration jobs fail in the paint job.”
He stared at me like I had three heads just before he started laughing. “Really? Do tell.”
“There were limited colors in the fifties and sixties, and the pearl and metallic didn’t exist. It makes me sad to see flawless restorations with a mirrored exterior or some equally obnoxious paint.” I continued exploring through the windows of the ’66 Fastback in front of me—memories of my youth bombarded me as if they were yesterday.
“You really like this stuff, huh?”
I stood and turned back to face him. “Yeah, I do. You’re bored, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I’m good.”
“Why did you come if you weren’t interested?”
“I thought you could use the break. You were pretty upset the other night, and if hanging out with old cars for a few hours brings a smile to your face, then it’s worth the time.”
My head cocked slightly while I contemplated his statement. Before I could formulate a reply, he darted off in the direction of some girl who called his name. I watched for a moment. She was pretty in a plastic way, everything about her was perfect. The woman was young, probably in her mid-twenties, with long, blond curls. When West tossed his head back to laugh, this pain struck my stomach and then crept into my heart. I forced my attention back to the Mustang and the couple who owned it.
I didn’t know how long it had been, but it was long enough that I’d made my way through all the Fords…thoroughly. I had no right to be upset. Collier was nothing to me. He was Beck’s brother—there was no relationship between us. He’d been great the last couple of days, but West believed I was a skirt lifter. I couldn’t be bothered by his lack of interest. But regardless, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t fight the snide expression on my face or the clip in my tone when he returned to my side.
After fifteen minutes of trying to smooth things over, West grabbed my elbow. “What’s the deal, Giselle? What happened?”
“Nothing.” If it rained right now, I’d drown my nose was so high in the air. I refused to meet his stare, and the smirk playing at the corners of his mouth was about to piss me off.
“Are you jealous?”
“Pfft. As if.” But I was. Unexplainably green.
“Holy shit.” He raked his hand through his hair and tried to hold back a laugh. “Giselle. Do you know who that was?”
“Who?” Even I didn’t buy my pathetic attempt at ignorance and nonchalance.
He lifted his hand to my chin and forced me to stare into those gorgeous, green eyes he shared with his twin. “Really?” The humor danced in his irises, and the sun made them twinkle like a cartoon. “That’s Stella’s little sister, Roma. That’s who I got the tickets from. She’s working the show. I didn’t want to be rude. I’m sorry I stayed over there longer than I should have. Don’t be upset.”
Sometime while he spoke, he shifted his hand to cup my jaw, and his thumb crossed my cheekbone. The instant I realized his tone had changed and his hand went from authoritative to nurturing, I jerked away.
“It’s fine, Collier. Are you ready to go?” We’d been here several hours. The heat zapped my energy, and I needed to leave. Envy was an exhausting emotion and one I wasn’t interested in thinking any more about.
His eyes dropped, and something crossed his face akin to disappointment, but instead of dwelling on it, he put his hand on my lower back and escorted me out of the car show.
“Giselle…”
I peeked over the top of the car as he opened his door. I didn’t want to be mad, but I didn’t know how to move back into the comfortable territory West and I normally shared.
Suddenly, he barked, “Oh my God. I totally should have introduced you. She’s single. And clearly gorgeous. Do you want me to take you back in?” He dragged his hand through his hair before staring at me. “I’m sorry, Giselle. I wasn’t thinking.”
Jesus, this couldn’t get any worse. He thought I was jealous of the girl, and he was trying to set me up with his twin’s girlfriend’s little sister who could be a Victoria’s Secret model. Before I could open my mouth, he was rounding the car and hauled me by the hand toward the blond bombshell.
“No, no.” My objections fell on deaf ears. The more I tried to protest, the bigger his smile got.
“Let me do this for you, Giselle. I know you’ve been really down, and she’s a great girl. I promise you’ll like her.”
Before I could get anything out of my mouth or form a thought of how to get the hell out of this without telling Collier what a lying fink I was, we bumped into the very person I had hoped not to find.
“Roma. I can’t believe I didn’t introduce you to Giselle earlier.”
She extended her hand, and her pearly whites displayed in a brilliant affection. “Beck’s friend?” She took me in with sweet but suspicious eyes.
Well, this was just great. “Hey, it’s nice to meet you.”
“I’ve heard so much about you from Beck and Stella. It’s great to put a face with a name. They didn’t lie. You’re beautiful. Who does your hair?”
I hadn’t answered when she hooked her arm through mine and dragged me off, calling to Collier over her shoulder. “Go have fun; we’ll find you later.”
When I looked back at him, shocked he’d put me in another precarious position regardless of how unaware he was, he laughed and waved. Fucker.
“So West, huh?” She had stopped walking once we were out of earshot. A knowing look crossed her face…just before she tossed her head back with laughter. “I have no idea how you managed to get yourself into this.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “You’d think at my age I would know better, right?”
“You have to tell him.”
“Tell who, what?” I refused to admit to this woman that I might have a slight bit of interest
in her sister’s girlfriend’s twin. Not going to happen.
“West. How you feel. It’s written all over your face, and from what I hear, he’s fairly smitten with you but thinks you’re a lesbian. How does a man like that begin to believe a woman like you is a lesbian?”
I didn’t know this woman, but she was playful and fun.
“I’m going to kill Beck. What the hell did she tell you?”
“Oh, sweetie, everything. She and Stella adore you. And so does Collier.”
“I’m just his sister’s friend.” I tried to dismiss her words with my own.
“You just keep believing that.”
“He brought me back in here to introduce me to you. Hardly sounds like a man who wants to get in my panties. Not to mention, he thinks I want to get into yours. Crap, crap, crap.”
“West doesn’t have friends who are girls. Don’t fool yourself. You’ve seen his entourage—they’re magnets for women. If he’s spending his time with you, alone, there’s a reason, and it’s not because he needed someone to go to the car show with him.”
“I don’t have a clue how to fix this.”
“Just give him the opening. I bet he takes it. You can sort out the rest later.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but it wasn’t in humor, more stupidity than anything. “And then what? Tell him everything he thinks he knows about me is a lie? Not much of a foundation for friendship, much less a relationship.” I had no idea where relationship came from. I didn’t want a relationship. I just wanted someone to share mind-blowing orgasms with. That was the only type of commitment I did.
She shrugged. “Then I guess you’re going to have to take your chances and tell him the truth. If you don’t, he’s going to keep trying to set you up with random women you’re not the least bit interested in.”
“At least he has good taste.” I huffed out a laugh. I might as well giggle; otherwise, I’d end up a sobbing mess.
“We should hang out sometime. I know Stella and Beck would love for all of us to go dancing. Give me your number, and I’ll text you mine.” She held out her hand, waiting for my phone. When I didn’t hand it over immediately, she rolled her eyes. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
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