inappropriate. It gives people the impression we’re a couple.”
Lance hadn’t been so kind. He’d told Reese that Ben was having his cake and eating it too. Ben kept Reese to himself while dating whatever women he wanted.
Across from her, Ben leaned back in his seat. The casual observer might think he was relaxed, but Reese could see the tension in his jaw. “He was jealous.”
Reese shrugged. “Probably. I thought that was all there was to it, but lately—” Lately, she’d found herself falling into the same patterns she’d been stuck in all those years she’d been waiting for Ben, and Sex Goddess Bootcamp had made her realize it. “Lately, I’ve thought maybe Lance had a point.”
“And what’s that?”
“We spend too much time together. We need to cool it a little. Be more like normal friends.” She flinched even as she said the words. They hurt to say, but she needed to do what was best for them both.
“Normal friends?”
“How many dates have you had since I broke up with Lance?”
He crossed his arms. “Enough.”
“You know you’ve dated less since I’ve been single, and that’s my fault. I needed a friend, and you were there. I was grateful for that—I am grateful.” She shook her head and laughed. “It sounds like I’m dumping you.”
He studied her for five hard pumps of her heart. “Aren’t you?”
“No, not at all. It’s just—we’ve been down this road before, and we know how it ends.”
The side of his mouth drew up in a lopsided grin. “Are you worried you’re going to fall in love with me, Reese?”
She snorted and the tension between them fell away. “Hardly.”
“Let me help you through Sex Goddess 101.” The words seemed to shock him as much as they shocked her.
“You’d just love that, wouldn’t you? How do you figure you’d help?”
Ben propped his chin on his fist and wriggled his eyebrows. “With some inspiration for dirty stories?”
“You wish.” She studied him. “Maybe you can help.”
“Now we’re talking. I’ll call the guys and see when they can install a pole in the basement.”
“A pole?”
“For dancing lessons.”
She scowled. “You know what, if I need any help, I’ll just call your brother.”
Ben growled and narrowed his eyes. “Okay, so what kind of help do you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “The women you date are…” The ceiling didn’t offer up the words to make this conversation any less awkward so she shifted her gaze to him. “You know.”
He raised a brow. “Profoundly lucky? Imminently satisfied?”
Reese rolled her eyes. “I was going for sexy . Or…confident. I don’t know. They have that thing .”
“Thing?”
“That sexy thing that makes men drool.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“If I’m going to get through this program, I need to be more like the women you date.”
He straightened. “Wait. You’re serious?”
She frowned. Had it really come to this? Letting Ben Hawk, of all people, help her become sexy? Her love-sick college self was somewhere inside her, whimpering. “Yes. I think so.”
He reached back and pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. “Halie visited me at work on Monday and told me to give you this.”
Reese scowled. “Why didn’t you give it to me sooner?”
“I was too busy trying to figure out which of my exes you want to be like.” He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table. “The poet who said I was the inspiration for her best work?”
“Hardly.”
“The lingerie model who wanted me to have a threesome with her sister?”
“She wasn’t a lingerie model, she was a woman who didn’t understand the difference between under- and outer-garments,”
“How about the kindergarten teacher who liked it when I took my feet and—”
“Stop!” She shuddered. She knew more than she ever wanted to about that particular woman’s fetishes. Really, it was best to just change the subject.
She pulled the paper from
Lance hadn’t been so kind. He’d told Reese that Ben was having his cake and eating it too. Ben kept Reese to himself while dating whatever women he wanted.
Across from her, Ben leaned back in his seat. The casual observer might think he was relaxed, but Reese could see the tension in his jaw. “He was jealous.”
Reese shrugged. “Probably. I thought that was all there was to it, but lately—” Lately, she’d found herself falling into the same patterns she’d been stuck in all those years she’d been waiting for Ben, and Sex Goddess Bootcamp had made her realize it. “Lately, I’ve thought maybe Lance had a point.”
“And what’s that?”
“We spend too much time together. We need to cool it a little. Be more like normal friends.” She flinched even as she said the words. They hurt to say, but she needed to do what was best for them both.
“Normal friends?”
“How many dates have you had since I broke up with Lance?”
He crossed his arms. “Enough.”
“You know you’ve dated less since I’ve been single, and that’s my fault. I needed a friend, and you were there. I was grateful for that—I am grateful.” She shook her head and laughed. “It sounds like I’m dumping you.”
He studied her for five hard pumps of her heart. “Aren’t you?”
“No, not at all. It’s just—we’ve been down this road before, and we know how it ends.”
The side of his mouth drew up in a lopsided grin. “Are you worried you’re going to fall in love with me, Reese?”
She snorted and the tension between them fell away. “Hardly.”
“Let me help you through Sex Goddess 101.” The words seemed to shock him as much as they shocked her.
“You’d just love that, wouldn’t you? How do you figure you’d help?”
Ben propped his chin on his fist and wriggled his eyebrows. “With some inspiration for dirty stories?”
“You wish.” She studied him. “Maybe you can help.”
“Now we’re talking. I’ll call the guys and see when they can install a pole in the basement.”
“A pole?”
“For dancing lessons.”
She scowled. “You know what, if I need any help, I’ll just call your brother.”
Ben growled and narrowed his eyes. “Okay, so what kind of help do you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “The women you date are…” The ceiling didn’t offer up the words to make this conversation any less awkward so she shifted her gaze to him. “You know.”
He raised a brow. “Profoundly lucky? Imminently satisfied?”
Reese rolled her eyes. “I was going for sexy . Or…confident. I don’t know. They have that thing .”
“Thing?”
“That sexy thing that makes men drool.”
“You’ve lost me.”
“If I’m going to get through this program, I need to be more like the women you date.”
He straightened. “Wait. You’re serious?”
She frowned. Had it really come to this? Letting Ben Hawk, of all people, help her become sexy? Her love-sick college self was somewhere inside her, whimpering. “Yes. I think so.”
He reached back and pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. “Halie visited me at work on Monday and told me to give you this.”
Reese scowled. “Why didn’t you give it to me sooner?”
“I was too busy trying to figure out which of my exes you want to be like.” He leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table. “The poet who said I was the inspiration for her best work?”
“Hardly.”
“The lingerie model who wanted me to have a threesome with her sister?”
“She wasn’t a lingerie model, she was a woman who didn’t understand the difference between under- and outer-garments,”
“How about the kindergarten teacher who liked it when I took my feet and—”
“Stop!” She shuddered. She knew more than she ever wanted to about that particular woman’s fetishes. Really, it was best to just change the subject.
She pulled the paper from
Similar Books
