Naughty Little Secret (22 page)

“But you don’t believe him?”

“I don’t know what to believe. But even if he does, given half the chance, Noah might barge into my life with all the subtlety of the bulls charging at Pamplona. He plans everything, and that would include my life.”

“No offense, hon, but you could use a little help in the planning department. You don’t even make plans for Christmas until the week before. Maybe you could…um…balance each other out.”

“Kat…”

“I’m being serious. Is that really your hang-up here? His planning fetish?”

-184-

Naughty Little Secret

The way Noah did things, all dominant male take-charge attitude, turned her on. A lot. She got wet just thinking about the sensual plans he had made when he seduced her, his elaborate plans to drive her to the edge of her self-control and push her over while she screamed his name. That totally turned her on. Everything about him did…except when he was lying.

“No, that’s not my biggest fear. He’d plan stuff in my life, yes. And maybe I could use that, provided he wasn’t lying. But how would I pick up the pieces after he planned the selection of his next girlfriend?”

Kat sighed. “Okay, look at this objectively. He lied. That’s a pisser, but he didn’t do it to hurt you. He did it to
win
you.”

“That’s his side of the story.”

“I doubt he was lying about that. Why bother? Noah might have a reputation for being a playboy, but he’s never been a deceitful jerk. I know you. If he told you flat out that he loves you, you wouldn’t believe it. Just like now. You’d be afraid to believe it. If he told you that he wanted to marry you, you would have run screaming in the other direction. What sort of options did you leave him?”

“You’re taking his side?” Lauren felt her jaw drop. Wasn’t Kat
her
sister? Didn’t blood give her some advantage here?

“Just think about his choices before you get all high and mighty. You wanted him, but you were willing to let it go because you didn’t want to say anything, right?”

“Yeah. It was awkward. He’s my boss and Tim’s friend and… It seemed like there were too many obstacles. I didn’t think he’d be interested, and I didn’t want to be hurt.”

“Noah wanted you so much, he worked around awkward, got up off his ass, and put himself on the line to be with you. He risked his pride to

-185-

Shelley Bradley

lay his heart at your feet. Think of everything this man did to get your attention, just to touch you…”

Lauren had thought of it. Repeatedly. The reality swam in her head, drowning out anger, leaving her with nothing but a hollow ache. Giving in…it was so tempting. With a few words, she could have that amazing man in her bed, his eyes gleaming blue fire, charged by wicked lust.

But… “That doesn’t excuse lying.”

Kat scoffed. “It goes a long way. Stop being righteous. You hate the fact he was more clever than you and outmaneuvered you. But his lying isn’t the issue, not really.”

Frowning, Lauren gripped her steering wheel, wishing for a moment it was her sister’s neck. “Okay, that’s true, but—”

“You’re scared at the lengths he’d go to in order to win you.”

“A little,” she admitted. “But it’s like a thrill ride, too. I know that doesn’t make any sense…”

“No, it does, honey. But I think the thing that’s really got your panties in a twist is the fact he’s making you confront your fears about the future and marriage. You’re afraid that you’ll give him your heart and he’ll leave you someday.”

In stop-and-go traffic, Lauren stopped and chewed on a ragged nail.

An uncomfortable resonance in her brain and tightness in her stomach told her that her younger sister was right.

Discomfort at facing those very fears warred with guilt in her belly.

She’d rejected a sexy, intelligent man with deliciously wicked intentions to avoid facing her own demons. She’d hurt him, desolated him, if she could believe his expression after this morning’s meeting.

Damn, she felt like a coward. But that didn’t make the fear go away.

“Bitch. I hate that you know me so well. So what are you suggesting?”

-186-

Naughty Little Secret

“Get over this little tantrum before you piss away the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

“The best thing? You never liked Tim.”

“With good reason. Look, you divorced the bastard because he never paid a lick of attention to you. Now, you have a man willing to blanket you with affection, devote night after night to your happiness and pleasure. And you say you’re pissed about the way he approached you.

Besides being way too picky, you’re lying to yourself. You’re just afraid of getting hurt.”

“Gosh, Kat. Don’t mince words. Tell me what you really think.”

Lauren rolled her eyes.

Her sister just snorted. “You need to stop thinking less about how a new relationship might be painful and think more about what kind of happiness you might be passing up if you let this stupid-ass fear run your life.”

Kat’s cutting voice—and the truth—whacked her across the face. Her sister was right. Noah was the anti-Tim—supportive, attentive, able to focus on their relationship. There was just one little, D-cup-or-better problem…

“Okay, you’re mostly right. But there’s something else you don’t understand.”

“This better be good.”

“Seriously, Kat. I’m like…Mount Everest to him. It’s the challenge, not the person. Once he’s scaled me and planted his flag, it’ll be over.”

“Sounds to me like he’s already planted his flag more than once.”

Lauren rolled her eyes. “Stop. I meant metaphorically.”

“You think he’s so hard up that he needs to ruin a decades-long friendship just to get laid?”

Um, put like that? Well…no. That didn’t seem Noah’s style. But…

-187-

Shelley Bradley

“Kat, I’ve watched him with every other woman he’s dated. I’ve seen the same pattern over and over. Once he thinks he’s got me, he’ll be bored and restless and leave me. Knowing that, it’s hard to just ‘get over’

my fear.”

“You need to consider three things: A—He acted that way with
other
women, women he wanted to be you. He’s not using you as a substitute for someone else. If he’s pined for ten years, chances are cupid has maimed him for life where you’re concerned. B—You cut him loose at the expense of your heart because, get this, you’re afraid of being without him and hurting. Hmm. Hello, is logic home?”

“It’s not that simple—”

“Yeah, it is. And don’t interrupt. C—You’re looking for guarantees in a relationship before you sign on. Gee, if they all come with one and I didn’t know…color me stupid. Here I thought relationships were about learning to trust and respect one another, sticking it out in good times and bad, and hoping for the best along the way. But gosh, if they come with guarantees of not being cheated on and left, sign me up.”

“Now you’re just being sarcastic.”

“I’m being right. I’m also hanging up now. Before you get the kids and get busy, while I know you’re stuck in traffic and have nothing else to do, I want you to think about what I said. Noah loves you. I believe the guy.

Why shouldn’t you? You’re crazy about him. It’s a great chance to start all over and do things right. The future… Well, what’s that cliché, it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? I think that applies here. Gotta run. Ta ta…”

Click
.

Ugh! That was just like her difficult, opinionated sister.

God bless her. Tears seared the backs of Lauren’s sleep-deprived eyes as she mentally sorted through Kat’s words.

-188-

Naughty Little Secret

Noah loved her. Lauren couldn’t run from that fact anymore. Instead, an insidious part of her heart embraced it like a warm quilt on a chilly winter’s day.

She loved Noah. They knew each other well, respected each other’s senses of humor and quirks. Undoubtedly, he’d drive her nuts a time or two along the way. No doubt she’d do the same to him.

Cutting him out of her life now…it
was
crazy. The weeks without him were killing her, like a dull, rusty blade in her chest coming closer and closer to destroying her heart. She didn’t want to be without him. If their relationship ended up being a short one, well, at least she’d have memories. If she left him now, she’d have nothing but regrets.

Lauren already had plenty of those, and they sucked. She wasn’t settling for regrets any more.

She picked up the phone again and hit one of her speed dial buttons.

“Hey, Mom. Are you busy tonight? You’re not? Great! Would you mind if the girls’ came to stay with you? I need to visit a…friend.”

-189-

Shelley Bradley

Friday fucking night, and he was alone. And home by ten-thirty. How the hell had it happened?

When a certain sandy blonde with flashing dark eyes had let him into her life—into the sweet, honey-wet depths of her body—substitutes had ceased to work.

She’d captured him completely, without even trying. She had simply been herself, and for ten years, he’d ached for nothing else. After a brief week in paradise, Lauren had kicked him out. Largely his fault, yes. But she’d bashed in his heart and snipped his balls when she’d walked out the proverbial door. He’d started a million plans in his head to win Lauren back before he had to remind himself scheming was exactly what she didn’t want. Damn it.

God knew he wasn’t lacking other offers. Just tonight at his former hot spot, some young blonde had all but humped his leg like a puppy in heat. In the past, he’d been able to muster up enough interest, especially if the blonde had lush curves and chocolate eyes and a husky laugh that went straight to his cock. Like Lauren.

Now…nothing. He’d danced with the blonde tonight, knowing he’d have to get back in the game at some point. He’d tried to pep talk himself into sleeping with her. Nothing doing. Holding the woman—Jessica? He couldn’t remember—everything south of his belt buckle may as well have been dead. Tonight’s blonde had been too skinny, too young, too…loud

-190-

Naughty Little Secret

and obvious. Self-absorbed. Misty had been much the same. As had a long line of blondes before her.

Noah sighed as he let himself into his huge, rambling, terribly empty house. Lauren was gone—and not coming back. He’d sell the house eventually. Why did an eternal bachelor need four bedrooms and three baths? The wife and kids he’d wanted for a decade weren’t moving in anytime soon.

On that depressing note, Noah felt his way through the dark, into his living room and made his way down the hall.

Bed. He’d go to bed. And probably jack off. Again. Thinking about Lauren, her supple curves all spread out on his bed, bound and wet and ready and all his.

Now
he got a reaction from parts south. Sighing, Noah looked down at his stirring cock and shook his head. Jessica and her artificial D cups rubbing against him had done nothing. One thought of Lauren, and every inch he’d sworn was dead suddenly sprang back to life.

“Picky bastard,” he muttered to his dick as he approached his bedroom.

The door was closed. Odd. He never closed his bedroom door before leaving the house. Only made the room stuffy…

But he was running on next to no sleep, and the pressure building up in his balls was nearly enough to strangle him. That, coupled with the constant ache right between his pecs, was really distracting the hell out of him.

Tired, Noah groped for the knob and found a piece of paper taped to it.

Scowling, he pulled the paper free. What the…? Had someone been in his house? Who had keys? Mom. His administrative assistant, Jennifer.

-191-

Shelley Bradley

He couldn’t see either of them leaving a note taped to his door, rather than leaving a voicemail.

After flipping on the light in the hall, he unfolded the paper and read…

You. Me. Naked skin. Shared fantasies. A whole night.

Now.

His heart dead stopped. Those were the same seductive words he’d used, more or less. Taped to his bedroom door. Not written in his handwriting.

But in Lauren’s.

Holding his breath, he shoved the door to his bedroom wide open.

His jaw dropped at the sight that greeted him. His cock leapt to full attention.

Lauren stretched out on his bed. Ankles and one wrist bound.

Writhing like she needed him to ease her ache. Now.
Holy shit
.

She was here? Here!
Breathe
, he admonished himself.
Goddamn
breathe
.

Her hair tangled in a wild honey-sweet cloud, teasing her neck, toying with the swells of her breasts and her swollen rosy nipples. She was blessedly, beautifully naked…except for a little black mask. Golden candlelight bathed every seductive valley and ripe swell, every inch of her soft, sun-kissed skin.
Son of a… Whew
!

Legs spread, Lauren’s bare sex glistened for his gaze. Advertising.

Luring. Calling out to him. His fingers, mouth and cock all twitched with the urge to answer.
Fucking torture
…

“Hi, stranger.”

-192-

Naughty Little Secret

Her voice, sultry, thick with arousal, wrapped around his cock, stroking it to a painful length. Noah gritted his teeth and tried to make his brain work, to sort through why she might be here, naked and available, taunting and so fucking gorgeous. But his brain wasn’t working. It just registered naked Lauren and reacted like a hungry dog with a steak.

“You’ve got five seconds to get off the bed and get dressed,” he growled, “before I shove my cock inside you and fuck you so hard, you’ll spend half the night screaming your throat raw.”

Lauren didn’t move a muscle, except to send him a kittenish smile that added another jerk to his cock. Damn it, the woman was playing with a book of matches in the midst of dry kindling, sprinkled with gunpowder and topped with dynamite.

“Promises, promises,” she purred.

She wasn’t just inviting; she was
taunting
.

The strategist in Noah knew he needed to rein in his lust, ask why she’d come, where she saw their relationship headed after the fabulous fuck she was goading him into. If he gave in, she might just well leave after her orgasms. He’d be tipping his hand, showing her exactly how much power she had over him. He’d have no bargaining chip when the night was through.