Flirting With Disaster (10 page)

What she didn't add out loud was the only
other clear thing was that she needed to be away from Dane. Far
away.

Her friend looked dubious. “And this isn't
about Dane?”

Peyton saw through it anyway. Brooke sighed.
“It has everything to do with him.”

He wasn't being a dick, but she damn sure
was doubting herself. Was she sensitive about her occupation and
her gender? Hell, yeah. Had she seen a boogeyman that first day?
Shit. Maybe.

But she couldn't shake the truth that their
attraction had deepened the moment she'd gone soft as they stood in
waist-high grass. He definitely wouldn't have made that speech if
she hadn't admitted to being jealous. He could have just told her
he wanted her. Splitting hairs, but she refused to be an obedient
little woman again who ignored her own instincts, beliefs and heart
just so she could be with someone.

Frustrated, she shoved a hand through her
hair and tried to explain that to her friend. “Take me greasy,
prickly and foul-mouthed. Let that be why he falls for me. Instead
of him falling for me in spite of being greasy prickly and
foul-mouthed.”

Peyton sighed. “You're right. I do love that
the most about you, but I also know you're sweet, nice and kind.
Yes, you're doing all this work for your business, but you'd have
found a way to do it anyway for the community. That's who you are.
Why do you think Dane can't see you the same way?”

Did she trust him? Yes. Something she
wouldn't have said before last night. She said, “Because Dane isn't
looking for a best friend. He's looking for a woman. I'm sure when
you're thinking about good qualities in a best friend you aren't
thinking incredible in bed.”

“
Where else would I get
good sex advice from?”

Brooke sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“
Yes. I hate to agree. I
do. I saw you guys last night. Everyone did. No one is going to
believe you guys hate each other. Not after last night.”

“
We were drunk.”

“
And if you guys truly
hated each other, I would have had to bounce you two for
fighting.”

Brooke gave her a droll stare. “We were dry
humping in a bar that isn't a club. You should have bounced
us.”

Peyton laughed. “You remember that?”

“
I remember too
much.”

Her friend laughed harder. “It's why I
didn't fight you guys. I was more than sure either you or him would
have found a way to each other's house. Too drunk to find your way,
you'd die from hypothermia. Plus, you guys have been—sleeping with
him, being with him is what you've wanted for a very long time,
Brooke. You just used being drunk as the best excuse to do it.”

Had she? No. The better question was when
did Brooke first suspect she could like Dane? It was after their
third run in, and then it only became worse as she saw him with
Reid, and then Tate. Hell, everyone in town. Dane had a way about
him that put everyone at ease. He wasn't quiet or shy though. He
was extremely likeable. So to keep herself from falling into his
orbit, she had held on to that first miscommunication and so had
he.

And now what did she have to protect her
heart? Nothing.

Her pride made her say, “I would not have
gone to his house.”

Peyton raised her brow. “Really?”

Brooke relented. “I'd have thought about it,
but I wouldn't have gone.”

Her friend made a noncommittal noise.

Brooke groaned. “Doesn't change the fact the
buck stops here. I'm too confused about the whole thing with him.
Sex would only complicate it. Case in point, he's been sexting me
since I left his house.”

“
Sexting? Dane, really?”
Peyton leaned forward. “What does he say?”

She pulled out her cellphone and showed her
friend. Peyton laughed again. “He's been sending you pictures of
classic cars.”

“
Porn to me and I'm
incredibly turned on.”

Peyton's brows crept up. “He's seducing you?
With pictures of cars?”

“
Yup.”

Peyton looked shocked and then impressed.
“This isn't going to end well for you.”

Her phone beeped just as her friend finished
that statement. He'd sent her a picture of a 1967 Mercury Cougar,
baby blue paint with the original ponies.

Dane had set his sights on having her, and
he wouldn't stop until she caved. And that was a point of
contention. He wouldn't see it that way. He was sending her
pictures of cars that he knew she'd like. Every time her phone
beeped her heart would skitter, she'd get excited.

His sexting was kind of sweet and cute. He'd
keep right on trying to own her in the bedroom, every bit of her.
It might not be a conscious act on his part, but the way he had
seduced her—even while drunk—told her that's exactly how he liked
things. The only answer he'd want was yes. The only arousing
reaction for him would be submission. She'd love it, every second
of it, until one day she found herself sitting in the kitchen
waiting for him to come home.

For her own sanity, she couldn't let him get
past her safeguards. It scared her that he could. Scared her even
more that a part of her wanted him to.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Dane paused at the doorway. Only essentials
filled Brooke's bare office. Desk, file cabinet, computer and worst
of all, beige paint.

Brooke had a fierce scowl as she worked on
the ledger on her desk. A ball cap hid most of her ponytailed hair,
but she'd pushed the hat up just past her hairline.

He hadn't seen her in a week, so it didn't
feel wrong to just stand there and take in his fill. It had only
taken twenty-four hours of sending her car porn before she
responded in kind: first editions of classic books. As a book
lover, of course, his heart pounded. As a bookstore owner, he
almost fucking swooned.

They were courting each other in their own
strange way, but a face-to-face meeting was necessary to move them
along to the next step.

“
Are you going to stand
there drooling over me being dirty and sexy, or are you going to
say something?”

She sounded annoyed, but he'd watched her
draw in a breath. She was forcing the frown to stay in place but
was slowly losing the battle.

He kept his expression blank, but his palms
grew damp. “Brooke.”

That made her look up, turning her scowl
toward him. “Took you long enough to hunt me down.”

He stuffed his hands into his pockets in
hopes the added bulk would hide his sudden erection. “It's a small
town and yet you still managed to hide. Gotta give you credit.”

A corner of her mouth tilted up. “I've been
busy, like I told you.”

He arched a brow at the obvious lie.
“Actually, you said if I sexted you one more time you'd shove my
phone up my ass.”

She glanced down, likely to hide her true
reaction—a smile. “Yet you continued to do so.”

Dane was done lying about what was happening
between them. “Foreplay,” he answered simply. “But, I actually came
by to give you the final bachelor list.”

She fiddled with the brim of her cap before
opening a drawer and pulling out a book. He frowned but stepped
from the doorway.

She put her hand over the book, hiding the
title on the spine. “When I haven't been terribly busy, I've been
reading.”

Another step closer and he could see part of
the stitching on the hardback. His heart skittered. “What is
that?”

She shrugged without dislodging her hand.
“You don't like romance novels so I don't think you'd be
interested.”

He said his words carefully, because now he
was leaning over the desk and could see how well it was
handcrafted. “Tell me what book it is.”

It was getting harder for her mouth to stay
fixed in a frown. “Why is it exactly you don't like romance
novels?”

His skin was prickling. She smelled so
feminine even with the mix of engine oil. “I'm not a misogynistic
asshole.”

“
Never—okay, I have called
you that, but not lately.”

His gaze slid down to her mouth. She bit
into her lip and blood continued to rush from his head.

He said, “We haven't talked face to face in
a week.”

She laughed, her voice deeper, huskier. “Got
me there.”

“
Tell me,” he
urged.

“
Pride and
Prejudice
. Now, I'm not a bookseller, but
within certain communities, the first edition hardback of this book
would...well, it means a lot.”

His eyes narrowed on her, but his hands
itched. “I thought you hated that book?”

She lifted her hand, and he could see she
wasn't just pulling his leg. In her grungy office, she just
happened to have a first edition. She said, “Decided to give it
another try.”

Dane actually felt faint. He dropped into
the chair across from her. No question. She came from money. Not
for the first time he wondered who had owned all those first
editions she'd sent pictures of. She had them or knew someone who
did. She licked her lips and heat slid down his chest.

“
Now you're just fucking
teasing me,” he said.

“
Really? I have no idea
what gets you off.” She pushed the book to the edge of her desk.
“You came here for a reason. What's up?”

His gaze was drawn to the book. “Not
considered a romance.”

“
Come again?”

“
Pride and
Prejudice
isn't considered a romance novel.
Not by today's standards.”

Whatever flirtatious light was in her eyes
dimmed. “So that makes it okay for you to like it?”

“
No. Not what I meant.” He
was surprised at her immediate tension. He thought they'd gotten
past that. “Everything has a love story. I just prefer mine with
explosions and dead bodies. Let me see that book.”

She folded her hands on her desk, brows up.
“You hunted me down for a reason.”

His reason for dropping by had flown out of
his head after seeing her and had definitely flown the coop after
seeing the book. “To kiss you...but right now, I'm feeling
randy.”

The words had the desired effect because her
mouth fell open. “Dane.”

He groaned, not all for play. “First
editions.”

“
Dane,” she said on a
laugh, “pull it together.”

He rose from the chair, grasped hold of her
coveralls and tugged her halfway across the desk. Her eyes widened,
but she placed a knee on the top to keep her upright.

He asked, “Do you know how much that book is
worth?”

“
Priceless?”

“
No, you can definitely put
a price on it.”

“
And that has you
randy?”

“
Fuck. Yes.”

She laughed. “And I thought
you were a book snob. Let this be a lesson in trying to seduce me.
I will win, because next time I'll grab
Moby Dick
.”

He caught her bottom lip between his teeth
and her eyes closed. She moaned softly. He took that as consent,
dragged her closer until she knelt in front of him on the desktop,
and then deepened the kiss.

Someone outside the shop leaned on their
horn. For a week, he’d let her hide from what was happening with
them. For a week he hadn't touched her, let her scent wash over
him. They'd argued, they'd shared jokes, they confessed more of
their dark secrets, but in email or text. They couldn't seem to
help it now. Whoever was leaning on the horn could wait.

She pulled back, her lids low. “The
horn.”

“
Fuck them.”

She let out a moan. “You turn into a
Neanderthal when you're horny.”

“
I'm taking that as a
compliment.”

The person outside started to honk their
horn in a melody. Dane rested his forehead on Brooke's.

She sighed. “You're going to have to seduce
me later.”

He kissed her again and then helped her off
the desk. “You're going to let me.”

The honking was erratic. “The Shelby did
it,” she confessed.

He'd sent her the picture of that one the
day before.

Honk.

Dane glared out the office window. An
African American man stood on the bed of his tow truck, his door
wide open. The man glared toward the office. Brooke's gaze followed
Dane's.

“
Son of a bitch,” she
muttered.

She was already running out of the office
when he thought to ask about the man. Dane followed her
footsteps.

She skidded to a stop and let out an excited
squeal. “You brought the Caddy?”

Dane frowned. The four cars were covered
with individual tarps, and yet, she knew that one by shape. The
newcomer's gaze narrowed on him. He had dark brown skin, a long
tapered nose and light brown eyes. Up close, he resembled
Brooke.

Right
.

Her brother had interrupted his seduction
and had likely guessed what had taken them so long. The shitty
what-were-you-doing-to-my-sister stare wouldn’t disappear anytime
soon.

“
Dane,” he said by way of
introduction and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“
The Falcon?” Brooke
climbed onto the back of the tow truck's flatbed, lifting up the
tarps.

The man folded his arms on top of the car's
door. The thickness of his neck and arms told Dane he probably
played sports in his youth and kept up some kind of regimen to stay
in shape. He worked at their father's stock brokerage firm. He
didn't look like a financial genius, but Brooke didn't look like a
mechanic either.

“
Pierce Hall, Brooke's
older brother,” his voice was deep, and there was a touch of menace
in his tone.