by Alison Bliss
And apparently, she felt the same way.
Her tongue rolled against his with a hunger he hadn’t felt before, and her insistent hands roamed over him with a passionate fury. If it hadn’t been for the middle console keeping them apart from the waist down, he was pretty damn sure she would’ve already straddled him.
“God, I want you,” she whispered, nipping at his bottom lip as she pulled at his belt to undo it.
Stupid fucking console.
Brett was prepared to rip the damn thing out of his truck right then and there, but then he remembered that she’d just been on a date with another man. Damn it. Talk about a mood killer.
He was so confused that he didn’t know what to do. He thought she had moved on with her life and gotten over him. After all, in the past few days, she’d refused his help, told him they were just friends, and gone out with another guy. What else was he supposed to think? Yet now she was kissing him and trying to take off his clothes.
She almost had his belt completely unbuckled, and he knew that if her hand went anywhere inside his pants, it was all over. There was no way he could—or would—stop things at that point.
He put his hand on top of hers and pulled his mouth back slightly. “Sid, wait.”
“Why? Do you want to get into the backseat first?”
Holy hell. He closed his eyes. Be strong, man. You can do this.
“No. I think we need to talk first.”
She trailed her tongue over his lips. “No, we don’t. Let’s not ruin anything by talking.”
He licked his lips, tasting her on them. “I’m serious, Sid. What is this?”
“It’s called sex,” she said, blowing out an aggravated breath. “But I’m pretty sure you already knew that.”
“Look, things have changed between us, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I think we should slow this down before that happens.”
The stunned look on her face made him feel bad, but she hadn’t said anything about them getting back together, and the last thing he wanted was a meaningless one-night stand with her. Sidney had never been that kind of woman, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to treat her that way.
Yeah, he’d slept with her before. Sure, he would probably kick himself in the ass later for not allowing himself to have her. But she’d just been out with another man, for goodness’ sake. So at this point, he needed to make sure she was all in. Because he definitely was.
He’d lost her once and didn’t want that to happen again. If that meant taking things slow and showing her that she could trust him to be the man she needed—the only one she needed—then that was exactly what he was going to do.
He gave her an encouraging smile. “Why don’t we go out to dinner tomorrow night so we can spend some time together? It’s been a while since we did that.”
“Uh, okay. I guess so.”
Brett nodded. “Great. I’ll pick the place.”
Because it was going to have to be somewhere public where he wouldn’t be tempted to rip her damn clothes off and slide her under him.
* * *
Sidney didn’t know what the hell was going on.
She’d spent the entire night lying awake, wondering why Brett had put the brakes on when it came to last night’s make-out session and whether her new figure had anything to do with it. After she’d offered herself up on a platter and he still refused her, what else could it be?
He’d said he wanted to take things slow. But weren’t things like that something guys said when they weren’t all that interested? She’d read He’s Just Not That into You before. Even saw the movie. Now she felt like she was living the scenario in her head.
If he’d rather take you to dinner than to bed, he’s just not that into you.
Then again, this was Brett she was talking about. Her Brett. And he’d never once treated her like that before. So maybe he really did want to take things slow like he’d said. And if that was the case, she appreciated the notion. Honestly, that was probably for the best anyway.
She’d called Charles that afternoon to let him know that Valerie had texted her that she’d found his keys and he could pick them up at the bar. Then she broke the news that she just wasn’t that into him…except she did it much more nicely than that. He hadn’t really seemed all that worried about it, which actually was a little insulting since he had been the one who’d acted like such a dumbass on their date.
But whatever. At least she wasn’t nursing a hangover. Karma sometimes had a way of righting the wrongs of the world.
The faint roar of an engine rumbled in the air, and her heart flatlined.
That had to be Brett since she wasn’t expecting anyone else, but he’d arrived a few minutes early. She glanced in her full-length mirror and smoothed the wrinkles out of her white silk blouse and black pencil skirt before sliding into her strappy heels and heading to the door.
The moment she opened it, her breath caught in her throat. Brett leaned against the doorjamb with both hands, wearing a pair of distressed jeans, a fitted black Henley, and a pair of steel-toed work boots. Even the wicked smile he wore screamed of a bad boy who was about to deflower a virgin…which only made her wish she was still a virgin.
“Hey, Sid. You look great.”
She smiled. “Thanks. So do you.”
He nodded a thank-you. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” She waited for him to move aside and then stepped out the door, pulling it shut behind her. “So where are we going to dinner?”
“You’ll see,” he told her, grasping her hand and leading her out to his truck.
A thrill coursed through her. He was holding her hand like he always had, which she thought was a pretty good sign. Or was that just her being ridiculously naive and reading into something all because she hoped that it meant more than it did?
Jeez. Stop it. Or you’ll drive yourself crazy all night long.
Brett opened her door for her but gazed at her with a funny look on his face. “Everything okay?”
Crap. He was picking up on her nervousness. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Of course,” she said, climbing into the cab. “Let’s go eat.”
He nodded and shut her door before strolling around to the driver’s side and getting in. They made small talk as he drove, although he didn’t take her hand again like she’d hoped he would. But he was driving so she tried not to read into that too.
When he pulled into the Gypsy Cantina’s parking lot, Sidney sat a little straighter in her seat. “Uh, is this where we’re having dinner?”
“Yeah, is that okay?”
“Sure, I just…well, you know who owns this place, right?”
“Jessa.”
“Well, yeah. But you know who she’s married to, don’t you?”
“Oh, you mean Max. Yeah, what about him?”
“You two don’t get along.”
He smirked. “Sure we do. Whenever we aren’t in the same room, we’re fine.”
“That’s my point exactly. You know Max is most likely going to be here. This probably isn’t the best place for us to have dinner.”
Brett pulled into an empty parking space anyway. “It’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb in circles over her palm. “I am. Trust me, there’s nothing Max can say or do that is going to rile me up.”
Sidney rolled her eyes. “Okay, if you say so.”
Brett grinned as he got out of the truck and came around to open her door. He seemed really confident that Max wasn’t going to upset him tonight, but Sidney knew how relentless Max could be. She’d seen him in action before. Max was a good guy, but he liked to see people squirm. He would push every button Brett had until he found the one that would detonate.
As they headed inside, Sidney could only hope that Max’s taunting wasn’t going to cause Brett to overreact as he always had in the past. Guess we’ll see what happens.
Although
the place wasn’t completely packed, it was still pretty busy for a Sunday night. Dining guests were scattered around the room, but there were a few empty tables available. They were seated at one of them directly below a gorgeous chandelier that hung in the center of the room.
Sidney loved the gypsy caravan feel that the decor provided. A canopy of red fabric draped from the ceiling. Colorful glass lanterns lit every table. Mixed print throw pillows accented the room with their rich hues and bold patterns. It was all so different from any other restaurant in the area…as was the wonderful gourmet food Jessa served.
The hostess provided them each with a glass of water and a menu and told them their server would be with them in a moment. A few minutes later, when the server finally appeared, Sidney was still looking over her menu, but Brett’s chuckle had her glancing up to see what was so funny.
Max stood there with an apron wrapped around his waist and a tablet in his hands, ready to take their order. He glared at Brett. “Laugh again, and I’ll spit in your food.”
“Max!” Jessa came from somewhere behind him and stood at his side. “You can’t say stuff like that in here.”
“Oh, I was only kidding…mostly.”
Jessa grabbed the tablet from him and turned her attention back to Brett and Sidney. “Don’t mind him. He’s just cranky because he’s having to wear an apron. He’s filling in for one of my waitresses while she’s on maternity leave, but I promise he won’t touch your food. What would you like?”
“I’m not the least bit worried,” Sidney said with a smile. “I’ll have the pan-seared halibut with the lobster risotto and sautéed asparagus. No parmesan, please.”
Brett shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll take my chances,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll have the beef Wellington with mushroom sauce, bacon mac ’n’ cheese, and roasted Brussels sprouts. No saliva, please.”
Max grinned. Probably because he knew he had Brett worried. “You’re so lucky I’m not filling in for one of the chefs.”
Jessa elbowed him and whispered, “If you keep saying stuff like that, you’re going to be lucky if I don’t make you sleep on the couch tonight.”
He threw his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll behave.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, you won’t. We all know you better than that.” Then she winked playfully at Brett. “If he gives you too much grief though, let me know, and I’ll put him on dish duty.”
Brett laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I can handle anything Max throws my way.”
Max lifted one brow. “I hear a challenge calling my name.”
“Give it your best shot, buddy.”
“Oh Lord. I’m going to go get started on your order. You two behave yourself,” Jessa said to the guys before heading for the kitchen.
Sidney bit her lip. The last thing Brett needed to do was egg Max on. He’d always been able to rub Brett the wrong way in the past. She just hoped that Brett wasn’t asking for anything he couldn’t handle.
Max pulled up a chair and sat backward on it as he glanced back and forth between them. “So are you guys back together now?”
Oh, dear God.
Chapter Seven
Brett watched as Sidney quickly grabbed her water and took a sip to keep from having to answer Max’s unexpected question, and frustration surged inside him. Was that her way of saying they weren’t getting back together?
And if so, then why agree to go on a date with him?
Brett sat back in his chair. Great. Now he didn’t know how to answer the question himself. So he gazed over at Max and calmly replied, “What’s it to you?”
He shrugged. “Just a question. Didn’t know you were going to get defensive about it.”
Sidney stared at Brett with a blank, unreadable expression, and he had no clue what she was thinking.
“I’m not defensive.”
“Maybe,” Max said, grinning. “But you didn’t answer the question either.”
Sidney visibly cringed at the remark and then tried to cover it by taking another sip of her water. Brett’s eyes met hers over the top of the glass, and the unrelenting tension between them made him want to crawl in a hole.
Thanks for pointing that out, asshole.
He needed Max to stop with his questioning before things with Sidney blew up in his face once again. So he shot him one of his blue-eyed glares. “All right. That’s enough. Unless you want me to go in the kitchen and ask Jessa when you two are going to start having babies, I suggest you knock it off.”
Max’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Brett grinned smugly to assure him that he definitely would.
Shaking his head, Max glanced at Sidney. “So what have you been up to?”
She tilted her head and released a sigh, clearly relieved that he’d changed the subject. “Um, not much.”
“I heard you had some car problems a few days ago.”
Damn. Word certainly travels fast around here.
“Oh, that?” Sidney nodded. “Yeah, I had a problem with my tire. But it’s all taken care of now.”
“Glad to hear it,” Max replied. “In fact, maybe you can help me out. I need someone to check out a tapping noise coming from under my hood. Know any good mechanics around here?”
Amusement forced Brett to smile. He couldn’t help it. The comment was funny. “Good one,” Brett said, offering him a fist bump.
Sidney looked as confused as Max did, but after a moment, he lifted one hand and returned the gesture. “Thanks,” Max said, laughing.
Brett had done plenty of maintenance on Jessa’s food truck in the past so Max must’ve known that Brett was a damn good mechanic. She’d even had him replace all the tires on it before she sold it as the new delivery truck for the Sweets n’ Treats bakery.
“If you’re serious about the tapping, it could be a lifter or an exhaust leak. Bring your truck into the shop, and I’ll check it out for you,” he said without hesitation.
Surprised by his reply, Max’s head snapped toward him. “Really?”
“Yeah. And if you can’t bring it in during work hours, just give me a call, and I’ll set up a time after hours to meet with you.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” Max said, offering his hand.
Brett shook hands with him like they’d been friends for years. “No problem.”
Max stood. “I’ll leave you guys alone now. Your food should be out soon.” He started to walk away but stopped and turned back to Brett. “By the way, I heard that you were thinking about buying that old car lot that went up for sale and turning it into a garage. If you do and you need any electrical work done, let me know. I’d be happy to return the favor.”
“That would be great,” Brett said with a nod. “Thanks a lot.”
As Max finally walked away, Brett sat there dumbstruck. What the hell had just happened? Had they actually become friends? Weird.
But Brett was proud of the way he’d handled things with Max. As usual, the guy had tried to push his buttons. It was exactly why he’d chosen to have dinner at the Gypsy Cantina in the first place. But Brett had been confident in his ability to stay calm and handle whatever Max dished out. Like a real man would. Besides, what better way to prove to Sidney once and for all that he was a changed man than to face his nemesis and let her see that he could control himself?
Funny thing though. He hadn’t realized how good letting go of the animosity toward Max would make him feel.
* * *
Who is this new Brett?
It was as if he’d gone from being a caged tiger to a cuddly teddy bear. Sidney could plainly see how hard he had worked to become a better man, and that only made her fall even more in love with him. It also left her wondering if things between them could work out after all. Well, if it wasn’t for one little problem.
Does he feel the same?
As they strolled out to the truck after dinner, Brett slid an arm around Sidney’s waist and held her body against his. She sti
ffened a little but tried not to move away. She couldn’t help being a little worried that he might be turned off by the extra pounds on her already curvy figure. Especially since he hadn’t answered Max’s question inside about the two of them getting back together.
But she was still grateful. The warmth of his arm provided her with some comfort and relief against the chill in the air and the cold drops of rain that fell from the darkened sky. Fortunately, they both made it into the truck before the spattering of rain turned into a full-blown downpour.
Brett drove her home and then parked at her curb. “Look at that. I managed to get you home at a respectable hour. It’s only nine o’clock.”
Yeah, almost too respectable to be considered a date.
She could tell he wasn’t planning to stay since he hadn’t turned off his engine, but she thought maybe she’d give it a shot anyway. “Would you like to come inside for a little while?”
He didn’t hesitate. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Oh. Okay,” she mumbled, embarrassed that she’d even asked.
“But I’m happy to walk you to your door to make sure you get inside.”
She peered out the front windshield at the substantial amount of rain water sliding down the glass. It was a freaking monsoon out there. “No, that’s all right. There’s no point in both of us getting wet.”
“I’m not scared of a little water.”
Little? She’d be lucky to make it to her front door without drowning. “Seriously, I’ll be fine. Good night, Brett.”
He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face to his, stopping only centimeters from her lips. “Good night, Sid,” he murmured, his tone deepening as his warm breath wafted over her closed lips. Then he leaned forward and brushed his mouth lightly over hers.