“Oh. Well, I was going to say we should hang out, but I hate to drag you away from—”
“It’s totally fine!” Sam bellowed, waving at them as Macy shook her head. Candace face-palmed as Brian burst out laughing.
“I don’t think they really wanted to hang out with you all that much,” he observed.
That wasn’t it at all, and he knew it. But God bless him, he seemed to be trying to save her from the embarrassment of having this raging, out-of-control crush on him. She would be forever grateful. “Sounds like you’re right about that.”
Chapter Five
If only Mom knew what I was doing now.
Candace tossed a popcorn bag into her microwave and set the timer, unable to repress a smirk.
It was hard to believe Brian was in her living room. Brian. Was in. Her living room. Feeding the DVD into her player right now. Moments before, he’d been fiddling with the color on her TV, after proclaiming it “crap”. Before that, he’d been in the kitchen with her, casting such a dark shadow around her cheerful white-and-yellow décor that she’d hardly been able to breathe.
His very presence here overwhelmed and unnerved her. Not that she didn’t like it, or want it. The unfamiliarity of having a man in her living space was manifesting itself in a thrum beneath her skin, a slight tremble in her fingers, and perpetual dryness of the mouth. She’d nearly dropped everything she tried to pick up and she’d probably choke on the popcorn if she tried to eat it right now. Heck, she needed one of the beers he’d stowed in her fridge. And she hardly ever drank.
Her cell phone bleeped at her from the counter and she picked it up to find a text message from Sam: Have u handed in ur V-card yet? Even as the question made her want to dive under her bed and hide, she had to snicker at the idea that she and Brian had a captive audience across town.
We just got here! Call u later, she tapped back, and hoped that would be that for the night. Knowing her friends, they were going to harass her all night, demanding updates. What did they expect her to do, hop on Twitter during the act and give them a play-by-play?
She gave a half-hysterical giggle at the thought as the microwave chimed.
“What’s so funny in there?” Brian asked.
“Oh…oh, um, texting with Samantha.” She shoved the phone in her pocket, peeking over the bar that separated her kitchen from the living room. Brian was perched on the edge of her sofa, thumbing the remote control. Once the movie was queued up and ready to go, he sat back, his long legs sprawled in front of him.
Candace swallowed hard around the fast-forming lump in her throat. Images flickered through her mind. Sauntering naked into that room and straddling him. Her fingers deft and confident as she freed his erection from his jeans and guided it inside her. Riding it to ecstasy with his mouth all over her breasts. All week long she’d been having fantasies like that. But now, with his presence, they were so much more vivid. So much more…within reach.
Ridiculous. Just because she had him in her apartment didn’t mean she was any closer to having him than she’d ever been. Sighing, she retrieved the popcorn bag from the microwave, dumped its fluffy, fragrant contents into a big bowl, and joined him on the couch.
The movie kept her riveted from the start, but she was always aware of him. They were seated far enough apart that another person could have fit between them, and she ended up setting the popcorn bowl there so they could both have easy access. When he wasn’t digging into it, he would stretch his arm across the back of the couch, but the action only brought his hand close to her left shoulder. Nowhere near as close as she would’ve liked.
It was hard for her throughout the course of a film to remain quiet and not make comments or jokes, and he was the same way. Michelle had always been hissing and bitching at them whenever they had all watched one together, because it never failed she and Brian struck up a constant stream of witticisms. It was no different now, except for this interminable tension that had her stuttering over most of her words. And sometimes he’d say something that ordinarily would have her in hysterics, but she could hardly even dredge up a chuckle.
He wasn’t going to put the moves on her. She’d accepted that. If she wanted him—and did she ever—then it was all on her to get him.
That thought terrified her.
“Hey, what’s up with you tonight?” he finally asked, giving her shoulder a playful nudge that nearly made her leap off the couch. His expression fell. “It’s not scaring you, is it?”
“Oh, no way. I’m enjoying it.” She resisted all urges to place her hand over the spot where he’d touched her. Her flesh was still tingling there.
“Are you all right? Nothing’s got you down?”
She fidgeted. “No. Just…um, preoccupied, I guess. I’m sorry if I’m not good company.”
He waved a hand dismissively. “You’re great. But I imagine you’re really busy with school and stuff.” She could have hugged him for the out he gave her.
“Yeah, that’s it exactly. I think I’m overloading myself sometimes, trying to hurry up and get done with it.”
“What’s the rush? It can’t be good for you to kill yourself like this.”
Getting the hell out from under my mom and dad’s dictatorship, that’s what. “The sooner I finish, the sooner I can start working, and the sooner I’ll be my own person.” Frustrated at the admission, she shoved her hand in the popcorn bowl only to brush it against his as he was reaching for another handful, and that thrill shot up her arm again, frazzling her thoughts.
“So how is it that you’re not your own person already?”
She shrugged. “Don’t mind me, I’m rattling on. It was kind of a stressful day.”
“If there’s something you should be working on right now, we can do this some other—”
“No, no, I’m glad you came over. I’m really…um, really glad you’re here.”
He grinned, and she could’ve sunk five inches into the couch for the way she melted. His teeth were perfectly straight, even and dazzling against his olive complexion. “I couldn’t believe it when you walked into my parlor the other day. It was damn sure the most pleasant surprise I’ve gotten in a while.”
That warmed her all over, rendered her momentarily speechless. “Well, good. I’d have gone in to see you sooner if I’d known you…I mean, that you…”
“Missed you?” he asked, giving her shoulder a few teasing taps.
She shivered. “Well…”
“I did. More than I wanted to admit to myself.”
What did that mean? Apparently, he wasn’t going to elaborate. Tearing his gaze away from her suddenly, he took a drink from his beer and focused on the movie again. On her flat screen, the cave-dwelling monsters were launching their attack upon the hapless spelunkers. Candace shoved the wad of popcorn she was holding into her mouth and tried to concentrate. Her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket…probably Samantha requesting another update. They would have to wait.
“Can I ask you a question?” she blurted.
“Shoot.”
“I know I said it’s not my business, so feel free to shut me down. But…why did you and Michelle break up?”
“Honey, we were just totally wrong for each other. Two more wrong-for-each-other people never existed.”
She had the feeling he was patronizing her, as if she was a naïve little girl and he was trying to protect her from all the ugliness in the world. “But what finally made you decide that?”
“I always knew that. But I was willing to let it ride.” He shrugged. “I liked her.”
Hmm. She had the feeling “liked her” equated to “she was dynamite in the sack”. Michelle was a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac. “Did she do something?”
“Not one thing. If you want me to pinpoint some catalyst for you, I can’t. The longer it went on, the more serious it started to get, and it wasn’t happening for me. Or for her. We were both two entirely different people, heading in different directions.”
“You don?
??t want a commitment,” she supplied, sounding too glum to her own ears.
“Actually, I’m not opposed to a commitment, Candace.” His use of her name right then sent a funny jolt through her stomach. He didn’t look at her. “It’s a matter of finding someone who doesn’t drive me up the fucking wall.”
“Is that all you need? Someone you can tolerate? What about finding someone you love?”
“Never known it.”
“But surely you know it’s out there.”
“I guess. My brother’s in love. My parents have always been disgustingly in love. I can’t see myself ever having that.”
“Why not?”
“Damn, girl, you are inquisitive.”
She straightened, certain she was blushing. “I’m sorry. Never mind.”
“It’s all right. But let’s put you on the hot seat. Ever been in love?”
I’m at least ninety-nine percent certain I am right now. Ohhh, that was a dangerous thought to entertain. And her mind returned it way too easily. So easily it could have rolled right off her tongue. “No. I mean, I’ve loved someone, but, um…I don’t think there can be true, unequivocal love unless that person loves you in return. If they don’t, it’s just…unfulfilled. Don’t you think?”
He was watching her now. “Any man you’re in love with who doesn’t love you back is a damn fool.”
She wanted to laugh out loud. If he only knew… “That’s sweet of you to say.”
“It’s the truth,” he said, his gaze lingering on her face. Something in that dark look stirred a longing between her legs that had her shifting positions. It brought back everything she’d felt lying on that table in his back room.
“So you’re saying…I’m lovable to you?”
He shook himself suddenly, emitting a laugh that made her jump. “Oh, hell. I’ve talked myself into a corner, haven’t I? Yes, sunshine, I think you are undeniably, exquisitely…lovable.”
But could you love me?
The question hung in the air, unspoken. She had the feeling he sensed it as well as she. His gaze still searched her face as if he pondered the answer.
Filling her lungs with adequate amounts of oxygen was proving to be more of a chore as this night wore on. For probably the millionth time, she wondered how it would feel to kiss him. Amazing, that for all her inexperience, in that one particular moment she was most concerned with something as simple as a kiss. Although with him, she would lay bets it would be anything but simple.
He was staring at her lips now as if he was wondering the same thing. Reflexively, she wet them with a tiny flick of her tongue. His mouth was so sensuous, it drove her crazy. The fullness of it, the beautiful definition. There was no question that it would be strong enough to make her weak, should she ever get lucky enough to feel it touch hers.
It wasn’t to be. Blinking as if coming out of a trance, Brian turned back to the bloodbath on the screen and took a breath. Candace pulled her poor, denied lips between her teeth to repress a sigh of frustration.
Damn, damn, damn. If she didn’t have the nerve to make a move tonight, she never would. He was here, they were alone, he was drinking. Not drinking a lot, but still. Maybe she really did need a beer. It might loosen her up a bit. Too bad she couldn’t stomach the stuff.
What the hell did she need to get his attention…and keep it? Bigger boobs? Fuller lips? Ass, she had in spades. It wasn’t big, but if she did put on a few pounds, it went straight in the trunk. And she had a few she was grappling with, truth be known.
Maybe you need to act out that fantasy you had in the kitchen. Could any man really resist a naked female straddling him?
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?”
She didn’t realize she was staring at him until he spoke. Tearing her gaze away, she shook her head and grabbed another handful of butter-drenched popcorn. Something else to go straight to her butt. “Nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“I have a major headache,” she mumbled. At this point, it wasn’t a lie.
He laughed. “Well, with the way you were looking at me, I’m led to believe it’s me. You want to call it a night?”
“No, Brian, I really don’t. Seriously, tonight would probably suck so much more if you weren’t here.”
She watched in stunned silence as he grabbed one of her throw pillows and laid it in his lap, then patted it invitingly. “Come here.”
She couldn’t get the bowl out of her way fast enough, but for the sake of dignity, she managed to not sling popcorn all over the room. Settling her head on the pillow, she almost groaned in ecstasy when his fingers sank into her hair and kneaded her scalp. A moment later, the sound slipped out despite all her desperate restraint. He chuckled, his massaging fingers draining the last of her strength. “Better already?”
“Ohhh, yes.” She’d seen him do this so many times with Michelle. The girl was like a cat; she loved to be petted. And he was very good at it. From her head down to her toes, Candace felt the tension slowly ease its grip on her muscles.
The gentle tugging sensations at her hair roots were activating all the right pleasure centers in her brain. The TV screen blurred in her vision just before her eyes fell closed. Brian’s fingertips circled her temple and moved down to explore the crease behind her ear, giving her a little shiver. She turned her face into the pillow a bit more and he was able to reach her nape, digging firmly into the column of her neck. She hadn’t realized how achy and stressed she’d been until all those wretched feelings dissolved into the sheer bliss of his touch. It was almost enough to make tears prick the back of her eyes.
“That…is…awwwesome,” she moaned. The man had magic in his hands. To feel them in other places… “Can you do this for me every day?”
He exhaled a soft laugh. “Anytime. Maybe now you’ll have a reason to call me.”
“Mmm. You might have to change your number after this.”
“Never.”
She smiled dreamily into the pillow. The last thing on earth she wanted was to fall asleep and miss any moment of this. But the weight of her eyelids was becoming too much for her to bear. Before long, she lost the battle. Her thoughts muddled, drifted…and finally darkened.
Brian leaned over to see that Candace’s eyes were closed, her breathing deep and steady. She practically looked boneless, and he had to smile. That was exactly what he’d been going for.
She had some incredible tension in her muscles, and he had to wonder what was stressing her out so. She had so much going for her. Parents who catered to her every need, from what he could tell. Friends who loved her. College work was probably draining, but he couldn’t imagine that was the only thing that had her drawn so tightly. He’d always envisioned it as one big party, and for him, it probably would have been.
Candace was different. She probably had a 4.0 average. Overachiever. Too damn good to even call her a friend of his.
She was…exquisite. Her hair was a silken slide between his fingers, and he couldn’t keep his hands out of it. The smooth skin of her neck had been just as enticing, not to mention the throaty moans that had made him glad he’d put the pillow on his lap. Everything, everything about her enthralled him, from the relaxed curl of her fingers beside her face to the tiny gold earring glinting in her earlobe to the mouth-watering curve of her hip.
He could imagine those fingers curled somewhere else. That little gold ball was inviting his tongue to circle it. Those hips…Jesus Christ, it didn’t bear thinking about. All the same, his cock pulsed, pressing against his zipper as his hand ached to slide down her body and travel that delectable curve.
He’d never wanted to let his mind go there, but Candace was undeniably one of those girls a man took one look at and knew she would eat him alive and lick her fingers clean afterward. Strong and curvaceous and devastatingly feminine. He didn’t know why she played it down so much, but more often than not she hid that incredible body beneath baggy clothes, and stuffed that shimmering bl
ond hair up in a cap. It had always driven Michelle nuts, too.
One thing was for certain: he was stuck. The movie was ending but there was no way in hell he was disturbing her. Careful not to make any big movements, he toed off one Nike and then the other, getting as comfortable as possible. If she slept in his lap until the sun came up, that was fine with him.
Chapter Six
She awoke to him shifting under her. Turning her head back toward him, she saw that he was asleep, but he had to be uncomfortable with his head rolled over on his shoulder like that.
“Brian?” she whispered, sitting up and rubbing his arm. He winced and straightened, his brows drawing together as his eyelids lifted. Those incredible eyes focused on her. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“S’all right. I should get going,” he said, and the drowsy cadence of his voice started a delicious melting in her lower belly.
The clock on her bookshelf revealed in glowing green numbers that it was after three a.m. “It’s so late…”
He stood and stretched his tall, lean physique in a way that reminded her of a sleek black panther. “I shouldn’t have crashed on you. You should go on to bed.”
She scrambled up next to him. “No, I mean…it’s so late, and you’re sleepy, so, um…you don’t have to go.” She became lost in the flickering light from the TV reflected in his dark eyes. “I hate to think of you out driving right now. I would worry about you.”
“Trust me, I’ve been out later than this.”
He must think she was a naïve little kid. Maybe she was. She felt she was operating on auto-pilot here. “I’m sure you have, but…I’d like for you to stay.”
“I really shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
He just looked at her, a puzzled line appearing between his eyebrows.
“I’m not asking for anything,” she said in a rush. “I—”
Her voice gave out. How in the hell could she think she was ready for this, any of this, when she didn’t even have the guts to tell him out loud what she wanted?