Page 22 of Bad Boys After Dark - Brett
But come on.
How could she keep something so new, exciting, and terrifying to herself?
“Are you almost done chasing away your one-night stand?” Grace wiped the sweat from her face with a towel. They’d been working out together forever, and although they weren’t always able to connect in the mornings because Grace often had to work late in the evenings, they usually made it at least once on the weekends.
“I’m not sure that’s possible.” She slowed the treadmill to a walk. “I ran four miles instead of two. If this is what one-night stands do to a person, maybe I need more of them.”
“You do realize that in order to do that you’d need to have more than one horse in your stable. Otherwise you’re breaking in the stallion, not taking a single trail ride.” Grace pulled the ponytail holder from her hair. Dark waves tumbled around her face, making her eyes look even greener.
“Then line ’em up.” Sophie took a swig from her water bottle.
Grace laughed. “I’ve known you since we were playing patty-cake in the schoolyard. You could no sooner ‘line ’em up’ than I could.”
“Yeah, that is a problem.” She turned off the treadmill and followed Grace toward the locker room. “Why is it that our younger sisters have all the fun and none of the regret, and we’re wired for long-term relationships?”
“Because we’re the oldest, and that’s the way it works. We take care of them; they get in trouble. It’s sibling law or something.” She pulled open the locker room door. “After you, sexpot.”
“That’s Sexy Sophie, thank you very much.” As she said the words, it was Brett’s deep voice she heard saying it, and a wave of longing pushed through her. She dipped her head so Grace wouldn’t notice as she unlocked her locker and withdrew her sweatpants and sweatshirt.
Grace pulled on a sweatshirt and hoisted her gym bag over her shoulder. Leaning against the lockers, she watched Sophie intently. “It’s okay that one night didn’t break you of wanting him, Soph. It’s been forever since you’ve been with a man, so I’m sure you want seconds.”
Seconds? What if she wanted thirds, fourths, the whole darn meal? Ugh. She didn’t know what she wanted. Maybe a ticket out of town so she could escape before her heart got broken.
“No, it’s not okay,” Sophie said as she put on her sweatshirt. She pulled her sweatpants over her running shorts and stowed her water bottle in her gym bag. “I opened a door that I thought I could handle, but you weren’t there last night. You didn’t see the look in his eyes or feel the way he touched me, and his kisses. God, Grace. His kisses were…” She turned away, unable to put into words the way his kisses transported her to some wonderful, unearthly place and how he was right there with her, in the moment. And then he was gone…
“Forever kisses?” Grace moved into Sophie’s line of sight.
Sophie closed her eyes briefly. When she was a teenager and had her heart broken for the very first time, her mother had told her that the guy she was crying over wasn’t her forever love. When she’d asked how she would know who was, her mother had said, The man whose kisses last forever. Forever kisses remain long after he’s left the room.
“That’s it. You think he’s your forever-kiss guy.” Grace’s gaze softened. “Oh, Soph.” She hugged her with an empathetic expression. “Then maybe it’s not just a one-night thing.”
Sophie rolled her eyes and headed for the door feeling empty and confused. She didn’t want to feel this way about him, but those kisses…She could still feel the press of his lips, feel his tongue moving over hers, and what was worse, she could still feel the way he sank into those kisses like he felt it, too.
“Come on, Soph. Why not?”
“Because it’s Brett. He never goes out with a woman twice, and he makes no bones about it. We both knew what we were getting into.” She pushed through the door and walked into the gym. “And he’s working in our office tomorrow. How am I going to face him? What was I thinking?”
“That the guy you fantasize about swept you off your feet, introduced you to your idol, and then turned your world inside out.” As they passed the reception desk, Grace whispered, “Wave to Hot Guy.”
