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Authors: Marie Harte
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shakin’?”
“We still on for tonight?”
Crap. “Um, something came up. I can’t make it.”
“Oh?”
She didn’t want to lie to Hailey, but Sydney needed to understand what the hell she thought she was doing with Derrick. “Look. I’m going through some stuff right now. I’m trying to figure something out. I promise I’ll talk to you about it. Just…not now.”
“Okay.” Hailey paused. “But Sydney, I’m always here for you, okay?”
“I know. I love you, Hailey.” She never took her friends for granted. They’d been all she’d ever had with a mother too flighty to make time for her daughter. And Hailey had been there for her time and time again over the years.
“Love you too. I think I’ll bug Faith. She sounded down when I talked to her earlier in the week.”
“Good. Tell her that I will personally kick her ass if she doesn’t have a date for the Halloween party in another two weeks.”
“Okay. Good plan. Later. Oh, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Tell Derrick I said hi.” Hailey disconnected, laughing.
So much for keeping her life private. Sydney wanted to be mad but couldn’t. Hailey knew her too well. Probably better than she knew herself. She’d be a perfect sounding board. Maybe she could explain why Sydney couldn’t stop thinking about Derrick. The sex was incredible. Had to be a physical thing. So why did she take such great comfort in just seeing him?
Men. They made a muddle of everything.
Glaring down at her hands, at the same fingers that had clutched Derrick while he’d kissed her, she tried to talk herself out of her excitement about tonight. On the drive home and the quick shower to relieve herself of the daily grime—and Derrick —she tried to talk herself out of her stupid fascination with the man.
She deliberately tossed aside the garters and stockings she’d worn and dressed in sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt. She swung her hair into a ponytail and refused to put on make-up. If this didn’t scare Derrick away, nothing would.
All set to finally put the man from her mind, she answered the doorbell when it rang, ready to end their pseudo-relationship before it had a chance to begin.
Except when she opened the door, she couldn’t look away from him. The stubble on his cheeks looked sexy. His green-eyed stare mesmerized her. Full of an odd combination of longing and irritation, they seemed to mirror exactly what she felt. He wore the same clothing from today, minus the T-shirt he’d sacrificed to clean her up. A minor, selfless thing that shouldn’t have stuck in her mind. Yet it had.
He eyed her up and down. But instead of frowning, he grinned. “Perfect. Here.” He shoved a pizza box at her and walked in with a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine tucked under his other arm. And not just any wine, but her favorite Cabernet.
She set the box on her table and turned to confront him. But he’d already moved into her living room and made himself at home. His shoes lay by the coffee table and he’d relaxed on her sofa. Two sweaty and bloody men grappled on the television in the middle of a cage, and he had taken a beer out of the six-pack and set it on a coaster.
“Come here.” He patted the spot next to him.
Bemused at the lack of a grand seduction, she walked to his side and propped her hands on her hips, not sure what to do with him.
He looked tired. Handsome, but the shadows under his eyes didn’t lie.
“Have you lost weight?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
How could she be mad at him for saying such a sweet thing? “You commandeered my remote.” She glanced at it tucked by his side. A definite foul.
“Yep.” In a surprising move, he tugged her down next to him. She lost her balance and landed on the couch, half sprawled across him. He didn’t let her go.
He actually hugged her tight. “Nice.”
Was he sniffing her hair?
She should pull back, set some boundaries. Make sure he knew to keep it casual.
Then he apologized.
“We still on for tonight?”
Crap. “Um, something came up. I can’t make it.”
“Oh?”
She didn’t want to lie to Hailey, but Sydney needed to understand what the hell she thought she was doing with Derrick. “Look. I’m going through some stuff right now. I’m trying to figure something out. I promise I’ll talk to you about it. Just…not now.”
“Okay.” Hailey paused. “But Sydney, I’m always here for you, okay?”
“I know. I love you, Hailey.” She never took her friends for granted. They’d been all she’d ever had with a mother too flighty to make time for her daughter. And Hailey had been there for her time and time again over the years.
“Love you too. I think I’ll bug Faith. She sounded down when I talked to her earlier in the week.”
“Good. Tell her that I will personally kick her ass if she doesn’t have a date for the Halloween party in another two weeks.”
“Okay. Good plan. Later. Oh, one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Tell Derrick I said hi.” Hailey disconnected, laughing.
So much for keeping her life private. Sydney wanted to be mad but couldn’t. Hailey knew her too well. Probably better than she knew herself. She’d be a perfect sounding board. Maybe she could explain why Sydney couldn’t stop thinking about Derrick. The sex was incredible. Had to be a physical thing. So why did she take such great comfort in just seeing him?
Men. They made a muddle of everything.
Glaring down at her hands, at the same fingers that had clutched Derrick while he’d kissed her, she tried to talk herself out of her excitement about tonight. On the drive home and the quick shower to relieve herself of the daily grime—and Derrick —she tried to talk herself out of her stupid fascination with the man.
She deliberately tossed aside the garters and stockings she’d worn and dressed in sweats and a long-sleeve T-shirt. She swung her hair into a ponytail and refused to put on make-up. If this didn’t scare Derrick away, nothing would.
All set to finally put the man from her mind, she answered the doorbell when it rang, ready to end their pseudo-relationship before it had a chance to begin.
Except when she opened the door, she couldn’t look away from him. The stubble on his cheeks looked sexy. His green-eyed stare mesmerized her. Full of an odd combination of longing and irritation, they seemed to mirror exactly what she felt. He wore the same clothing from today, minus the T-shirt he’d sacrificed to clean her up. A minor, selfless thing that shouldn’t have stuck in her mind. Yet it had.
He eyed her up and down. But instead of frowning, he grinned. “Perfect. Here.” He shoved a pizza box at her and walked in with a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine tucked under his other arm. And not just any wine, but her favorite Cabernet.
She set the box on her table and turned to confront him. But he’d already moved into her living room and made himself at home. His shoes lay by the coffee table and he’d relaxed on her sofa. Two sweaty and bloody men grappled on the television in the middle of a cage, and he had taken a beer out of the six-pack and set it on a coaster.
“Come here.” He patted the spot next to him.
Bemused at the lack of a grand seduction, she walked to his side and propped her hands on her hips, not sure what to do with him.
He looked tired. Handsome, but the shadows under his eyes didn’t lie.
“Have you lost weight?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
How could she be mad at him for saying such a sweet thing? “You commandeered my remote.” She glanced at it tucked by his side. A definite foul.
“Yep.” In a surprising move, he tugged her down next to him. She lost her balance and landed on the couch, half sprawled across him. He didn’t let her go.
He actually hugged her tight. “Nice.”
Was he sniffing her hair?
She should pull back, set some boundaries. Make sure he knew to keep it casual.
Then he apologized.
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