Yeah, right… “I’m not that guy, Evelyn.”
She lifted a brow.
Rolling his eyes, he said, “Okay, well, not anymore.”
She seemed genuinely surprised by the intensity of his words. “Okay. I’m sorry,” she said sincerely.
He nodded once and stepped back. “What do you want for dinner?”
She shrugged. “I don’t care. You pick.”
He snorted. “Yeah, no. Not after that scathing comment about showing off.”
“Oh, my god,” she laughed. “I apologized.”
And he was letting it go. Mostly. “I know. And I forgive you. Besides, I’m gonna prove to you that I’m not the guy you described.”
She gave him a doubtful look. “How?”
“You’ll see.”
Drake had no idea how he was gonna prove himself to Evie, but he knew he had to if he wanted to keep her beyond their mutual vacation. And after the amusing dinner conversation the night before, and the kiss they’d shared at her bedroom door, he definitely wanted to see where it went with her.
She’d even surprised him, at the restaurant, which had turned out to be Red Robin for burgers and bottomless steak fries.
After they’d eaten, enjoying each other’s company, she’d reached for the check when it had come.
“Hey, what are you doing?” he’d asked.
“You said I could pay the next time we went out.”
“Yeah, and if we were here as friends I’d let you. But this is a date, and I always pay on dates.”
She’d rolled her eyes, but let him have the bill.
He hadn’t expected that. Most girls were more than willing to let him buy them dinner. Not Evie.
Of course not Evie, he thought. She was beyond anything he’d ever experienced, and he was beginning to think he might need some outside help, though it wounded his pride. But it was important, so he’d suck it up and do what needed doing.
Leon was the obvious choice, as Drake’s big brother and best friend. But, being married to the sister of Drake’s potential love interest, there was a clear conflict of interest.
Most of his friends were single, or had married too young or for the wrong reasons and were now divorced. Drake needed to talk to someone in a serious, committed, healthy relationship. Since Leon was out, he could think of only one person who fit that bill: His buddy, Jerard, who lived in California. Typically, not a big deal, but seeing as it was early morning here, it was earlier morning there.
Since he was still calling, he hoped Jerard would understand. He dialed his friend’s cell rather than house in the hopes that he wouldn’t disturb Jerard’s wife, Chantal, or their baby girl, Kassidy.
Jerard answered quickly, sounding a little alarmed. “Sup, Drake?”
Drake smiled, easily pictured Jerard’s wide brown eyes, and possibly Chantal’s, as they lay in bed, maybe waiting for the daughter they both adored to wake for a bottle.
“Hey, Jerard. Sorry for calling so early, but I’m having a personal dilemma.”
Jerard scoffed. “Man, just send them both home in the same cab. They can get their own-”
“Jerard, no.” God, even his friends? “It’s something else, something serious.”
Jerard paused, not used to the slightly upset tone of Drake’s voice. He cleared his throat. “Okay, man, lay it on me.”
Knowing he was gonna sound like a wimp and a little whiny, he told Jerard about the conversation he and Evie had the night before.
“So now I have to prove my feelings to her, and I don’t know how. And I really want to. I’ve never wanted anyone more than I want Evie.”
“This is why you called?”
Drake let out a huff. “Jerard, how happy are you with Chantal?”
Jerard’s voice was softer when he spoke, full of affection for his wife. “Very.”
“See? I want that. Why wouldn’t I call you?”
There was a slight pause on the line. “Okay. So what exactly are you looking for, Drake? Specific examples or just broad suggestions?”
“I need her to know that I’m serious when I say I’m not a playboy anymore.”
“Okay, so the normal stuff is out.” Jerard thought for a moment. “You’re gonna want simple, easy-going, sincere. Nothing obnoxious or ostentatious; she’ll see through that and you’ll come off as a lying sleaze.”
“Yeah, I thought pretty much the same.” Maybe he wasn’t as far lost as he thought.
“Good. You’re well on your way, then,” Jerard said confirming his thoughts. “Look, all I can say is… Compliment her, but only if you mean it. Don’t lie. Be open and honest. Kiss her; seems obvious but the right kiss could tell her more than words. If you’re doing something together- cooking, reading, watching TV, whatever- play with her.
“Hug her; I know it sounds hokey and lame, but a hug with no strings or ulterior motives says you respect her and don’t expect every touch to become sex. And touch her, just because and frequently, in a place that’s not sexual: Run your hand over her hair when you walk by, kiss her nose or forehead, put your head against hers, squeeze her hand just because. That means you want her and want to touch her, but don’t need to be inside her to do it.
“When you do have sex, be good, and be generous; this isn’t a booty call. I know you strive for those things, anyway, but it can’t be overstated. And if you tell her you love her, mean it; don’t say it because you think she wants to hear it. She’ll know the difference.” He took a breath. “Okay?”
Drake’s head spun. “Okay. Yes, I think I got it. Thanks, Jerard.”
“You’re welcome, man. Let me know how it goes.”
“Will do. Bye.” Drake hung up, glad he’d called his friend. While a lot of Jerard’s suggestions should have been obvious, many hadn’t been to Drake. It made him think he really had become that emotionless playboy everyone thought he was. It hadn’t been his goal setting out, but apparently that’s where he’d ended up.
Well, he was damn well going to change now. Really, he already had. He hadn’t been dating the same amount of women, and found his regulars boring or obnoxious. Of course, Evie didn’t know that. She couldn’t. But she would.
Before long, she would.
Upstairs in her room, Evie had just finished dressing for the day and flopped back on her bed. She couldn’t stop thinking about Drake’s words the night before. ‘I’ll prove it to you’.
She didn’t know how a man with a reputation like his could prove he was a different man. Unless he merely meant he was capable of behavior other than womanizing, and would try to show her attention she wouldn’t expect.
Worrying her bottom lip, she pulled out her phone and dialed Vicki’s number. Maybe her sister could give her an idea by telling her how he’d changed lately.
“Hey, baby sister! How goes your vacay?”
Evie grinned. “It’s… really good. Thanks.”
“And how’s Drake?” She didn’t bother to mask her eager tone.
Evie rolled her eyes. “He’s fine, I guess.”
“You guess?” Vicki was so crestfallen that Evie could almost feel her disappointment through the phone. “Haven’t you been hanging out with him?”
Evie had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the laugh from her voice. “Not really. Not more than necessary, anyway. Look, Vicki, I wanted to ask you about what you said a few days ago. About Drake?”
“Okay… What’d I say?”
Evie smiled at Vicki’s forgetfulness. “That he had changed lately, wasn’t the way he used to be.”
“Okay?”
“How has he changed, exactly? What about him and his behavior makes you think he’s different?”
“Well, he’s… matured, I guess you’d say. He doesn’t date like he used to, not as often. And you can tell he’s not into the women he used to be. He seems to find them boring, or obnoxious, depending on which one you see him with.”
Evie didn’t say anything, but thought she could have told Drake
his dates were boring or obnoxious months ago, maybe even years.
Vicki continued. “I think turning thirty changed him, though he doesn’t realize it. But I think he’s ready to settle down now, get married, maybe even have kids.”
Still Evie said nothing, though now it was from shock. Vicki had just said the exact opposite of what Evie had been expecting.
“Hey, why’d you ask?”
Evie hurried to answer honestly but without admitting anything. “I kind of insulted him last night- inadvertently- when I compared him to the guys you dated in college.”
Vicki gasped. “Oh, Evie, you didn’t.”
“Hey, I apologized.”
Vicki made a noise like Evie’s apology was small consolation. “Be nice, Evie. Even if you don’t like him, he’s still my brother-in-law.”
“I am being nice. It wasn’t on purpose, Vicki, and I said I was sorry. Relax.”
“Okay. But seriously, give him a chance. You could do a lot worse than Drake Benton, in bed or out.”
“Okay, Vick. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” She hung up before her sister could go on, possibly embarrassing her. Vicki rarely pulled punches, and never with Evie. You never knew what she’d say.
Sighing in relief that she’d gotten away with asking about Drake with only minimal questions in return, she headed out to the kitchen for breakfast.
Oddly, she beat Drake there, but not by much; she could hear him coming up the stairs now. So she waited to see about breakfast.
He opened the door, spotting her immediately. A huge grin spread over his face, and her belly fluttered. Without losing eye contact, he closed the door and walked to her, then dropped his mouth quickly over hers. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” she returned, sounding a little breathless.
His grin widened as he took a step back. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Um…” She fought to clear her mind. “I was probably just gonna have-”
“Wait, let me guess- Yogurt and granola?”
“Yeah…” She cocked her head to the side when he started laughing at her. “What?! I like it.”
“So you’ve said before. How about pancakes?” She regarded him untrustingly, making him laugh more. “You’re on vacation, Evie. Live a little.” When she still wasn’t convinced, he said enticingly, “I’ll cook…”
She smiled. She couldn’t help it. “Fine. Pancakes. But I’ll help you.”
“Yes!” He punched a fist into the air. “I love pancakes. Wanna put anything into them?”
She thought about it, decided if she was gonna do this and destroy her caloric intake for the day, she was gonna do it right. “Do they have any chocolate chips?”
He stared at her for several seconds, looking stunned. Finally, he said quietly, “I think I just fell in love with you.”
Though he looked completely serious and not entirely happy about it, she knew he was joking; he had to be. Still, his words caused a warm feeling to go through her. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the love of a man like Drake: Funny, sexy, affectionate. She knew it could never happen, but still…
To show him she got the joke, she laughed quietly. “Yeah, right.”
He blinked as if coming out of a trance and frowned, confusing her. Then, with a half-grimace she didn’t understand, he turned to the pantry.
After a few seconds of digging, he lifted a bag of chocolate chips. “Victory,” he said, holding it over his head, and she noticed his face had cleared.
What had that been?, she wondered. But she didn’t say a word as they made the pancakes, not wanting to disrupt the fun mood Drake had set when he tried to put batter on her nose. Whatever it had been, he’d let her know if he felt he should.
They ate on the deck, under the shade of the beige umbrella that matched the table, chairs, and outdoor bar. She watched in astonishment as he ate ten pancakes to her two, and still he managed to ask her all kinds of questions about herself: her job, her hobbies, her friends… His interest seemed endless. It was like he wanted to know everything about her. She couldn’t say what his motivation was, but she found his interest in her surprisingly flattering.
And when he stood to clear his dishes, he paused and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. What… the hell?
In the kitchen, Drake watched the confusion on Evie’s face. He knew his behavior was making her crazy, but he found he liked being affectionate with her. Eventually, she’d figure out what he was doing.
After a few minutes, she stood and grabbed her dishes. Not wanting her to catch him staring- though why the hell not?- he turned the sink on and began rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.
Later that night, following a very tasty chicken parmesan dinner that they both helped to prepare, they finally made it down to the theater. After spending the day swimming and fishing- with a few well-timed kisses and touches on Drake’s part- they were ready to relax with a movie.
They went for the comedy this time, and Drake was surprised to find he and Evie had pretty much the same taste there, too. After the Star Wars thing, this was just icing on the cake that was Evelyn.
They had started the popcorn machine before choosing the movie, and now each held a tub and a drink- Coke for Drake, lemonade for Evie- as they decided where to sit. Both forewent the standard theater chair, and together they settled in the closer of the two loveseats.
As the movie got going, Drake recalled the pleasure of having her pressed against him in fear the night before. Though this flick was far from scary, he didn’t think it could hurt to have her against his side again. Without a word, he dropped the arm he’d draped across the back of the couch down onto her shoulders, and pulled her tight against him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her look at him with big, surprised eyes, but he kept his gaze on the screen. After a moment, when she saw he wasn’t going to make an issue of it, she smiled shyly and lifted her legs beside her to cuddle against him.
Within an hour, he began to see the fault in his plan. Anytime she moved, she rubbed against him, and her scent- fresh, clean, and kinda sweet- wafted up to make him crazy. And her laugh… God!, the sound of it went straight to his groin. They were barely halfway through the movie- Why had they chosen a comedy?!- and he didn’t think he could take hearing her giggle one more time.
A few seconds later, the main character cleverly insulted his antagonist. Though Drake couldn’t concentrate enough to get the joke, Evie could, and a long, lovely giggle twinkled up her throat and lodged in his chest.
Taking a deep breath to keep himself calm, he turned and looked at her. Catching his movement, she lifted laughing eyes to his, a bright grin on her face. He felt heat course through him, and her smile slowly faded to be replaced by a look of amazement.
“Drake?” she whispered, her melted-chocolate eyes just a little alarmed as they flitted back and forth between his.
“Hm?” His empty response showed his distraction.
“Will you kiss me?”
He could see it had taken a lot to ask, but she needn’t have worried. He’d have done it anyway.
He nodded slowly, and moved just enough to cup her cheek before brushing his lips over hers.
Once again, he’d miscalculated. He’d assumed, because of her hesitant question and typically reserved ways, that easy and unassuming were what she wanted.
He was wrong.
As soon as his mouth touched hers, she went wild: pressing her lips firmly to his, rising onto her knees, using the angle of her body to force him to twist and lean back so she was lying on top of him. He tried to keep himself in check as their mouths mated, keeping his hands on her face, arms, or waist, not thrusting upward when she straddled him, keeping his mouth on her mouth. And he was doing a good job, until she lowered her hips and ground anxiously against him, making them both groan in pleasure.
“God, Evie, you’re making me crazy,” he ground out when her mouth moved from his to explore his neck. “I’m gonna lose i
t in a second.”
“Good,” she said huskily. “Let’s go to my room.”
He groaned internally. Why had he chosen Evie to go all moral with? He answered himself instantly: Because he cared for her, genuinely and deeply. Maybe more. He hadn’t been entirely joking this morning when he said he’d fallen in love with her. It had been irrational and surprising, but didn’t that mean it was real?
Her teeth nipped at his earlobe as her hands began to undo his shirt. “Wait!” he said before sanity left him, holding her hands flat against his chest with his own.
“What?” she asked, breath heaving, lips parted, eyes wide.
He closed his eyes so he couldn’t see her need and be tempted to kiss her. “I’m not going to your room.” Never before had six words hurt so much. He literally had to swallow roughly to keep from groaning in pain.
She was quiet for a moment, obviously stunned by his words, but when she spoke again, he could hear the smile in her voice. “You’re right. Your room is closer.” His eyes popped open just as she brought her mouth down to his again, instantly sliding her tongue sinuously against his.
Because he already considered himself a saint for pushing her away once, he gave in and kissed her back. How bad could it be, he thought, to give completely, to take what he’d wanted for years? So she’d think he was a playboy. That didn’t make him a bad person; it simply meant he knew his way around a woman’s body.
And he wanted to know hers; God, how he wanted to know hers. Above him, she moaned as she once more pressed her center against his straining erection.
Drake groaned, opened his eyes as he held her face in his hands. He stared at her, saw lust, desire, need… But no real emotion.
He’d seen that exact look on the faces of dozens of women. It had never bothered him before- In fact, if he had seen emotion, he was out the door before the woman knew what happened. But now… He didn’t like it at all. He wanted more from Evie, and he’d seen it before in her eyes. He could only assume she was blocking herself off because of his reputation.
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