Hooked for Life (3 page)

Brady slept in for once and since it was after nine she called Lissa to see if she wanted to shop. Of course she did and they made plans to meet for lunch first.

Brady got to their usual pizza place, the same one they had eaten at as kids, and slid happily into her favorite booth. Lissa was late as usual, seemed that hadn’t changed either. Ordering a soda, Brady waited patiently until Lissa breezed in, looking fresh and beautiful even though she had partied ’til god knows when.

“Brady!” she hollered as she came to the booth and sat down. Lissa ordered her food without looking at the menu and Brady ordered the same. But as the waiter walked away the two sisters stared at each other, an awkward silence filling the space between them.

Lissa broke the silence first. “So you ran into Darren last night?”

“Yes, we are having dinner tonight.”

Lissa nodded like she already knew this and Brady immediately suspected something. “Why did you give him my number?”

Lissa stared at her as if she had no idea what she was talking about, and just like that they were little girls again, bonded by blood. Brady couldn’t keep the smile from curving her lips and Lissa smiled back.

“Was that not okay? I saw you guys talking and I just assumed you had forgotten to give it to him,” Lissa said with a flirty smile to a waiter walking by.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Brady answered and smiled again when Lissa only nodded, her eyes still following the jean-clad waiter. Thankfully their food was served and it drew her sister’s attention back to the table. The ice broken, they moved on easily to other things and caught up on what was going on each other’s lives. Soon they were outside, walking along the street and peeking into the shops, looking for the perfect outfit for Brady’s date.

Brady wanted a pair of slacks and a pretty shirt but Lissa was having none of that. Dragging her into a dress shop, Lissa piled Brady’s arms full of prospective items and hustled her off to the changing room.

Brady had forgotten how much work it was to shop with Lissa. She was a whirlwind and never seemed to get tired of shopping. But Brady had to admit Lissa had good taste and before Brady knew it she had a whole new outfit. Complete with sexy black lace underwear no one would ever see and strappy black shoes with killer heels.

They circled back around to the restaurant they had started at and went in for drinks. They took a seat at the bar instead of sitting in one of the booths where they had lunch earlier.

“So tell me, Brady, do you still have a thing for Darren?”

Brady was in mid-drink and almost embarrassed herself by spitting her mouthful out all over the bar. Swallowing, she gaped at her sister, who was looking back all too knowingly. “Did you always know, Lissa?”

“Pretty much. You weren’t as sneaky as you thought when you came to his games. Seeing how I know you hate football, I figured there was something else going on and it didn’t take me long to figure it out.”

“I’ll admit I had a crush on him in school but that was a long time ago.”

“It was a long time ago but I’m sure you have realized some things don’t change. Just promise me something?”

“What’s that?” Lissa would never know if she crossed her fingers behind her back. Brady had learned early, promising her sister something before she knew what she was promising was asking for trouble.

“Give him a chance.”

“What? Darren?” Now Brady was sure her sister knew something she didn’t.

“No, Brad Pitt! Of course Darren.”

“We are just having dinner, Lissa, and I go home tomorrow.”

“I know. Do you think you will ever move back here?”

The question took her by surprise. They had never talked about it before. “Honestly, I didn’t think you cared one way or the other.”

“Of course I care! We are sisters and even though we have never been close I sometimes wonder if that would change if we lived in the same state at least.”

Brady was even more shocked when Lissa wrapped her arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. “Call me in the morning and let me know how the date went?”

Brady nodded her assent, already knowing she wouldn’t as Lissa grabbed her things and waved at the door.

Things were not going like she expected at all. She was slowly realizing that even though everything looked the same around her, nothing really was.

It was almost six by the time she made it back to the hotel. She had delayed going back to her room on purpose so she wouldn’t have time to overthink and make herself nervous. But then she regretted it when she spent too much time blow-drying and brushing her hair until it was shiny and fell in pretty waves. It was the best she could do and now she needed to hurry.

Stepping into her new dress, she had to admit it looked good on her. It was a dark-gray material that clung to the right places. But when she looked in the mirror she about called the whole thing off. The plunging neckline showed more than her raciest outfit. But it was her own fault for letting Lissa talk her into it.

Taking a deep breath, she told herself not to be a coward and grabbed her new shoes and strapped them on. She was just finishing when she heard a knock at the door. He was early and it was too late to back out now.

Sucking in a deep, calming breath, she opened the door and almost swooned. He looked amazing. She blamed the dim lighting the night before for not seeing how mouthwatering he was.

His black hair was longer now and some of it flopped forward on his forehead, giving him that “just rolled out of bed” look. He wore slacks and a dark-blue blazer, making his shoulders look impossibly wide and his eyes, they stared at her without blinking.

He cleared his throat. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. Do you want to come in?”

“No, we have reservations at seven-fifteen. It was all I could get on such short notice.”

“Okay, let me just grab my purse.” Brady left him at the door as she grabbed her bag, taking her time and trying to slow her thundering heart.

Darren tried his best but he couldn’t keep his eyes from Brady’s perfect ass as she walked away. He had always thought she was beautiful but seeing her in that dress had sent all his blood to a place that shouldn’t be rising at the moment.

She was a woman now and it only made him more determined to get what he was after. She came back toward him, a little smile on her face, and he almost dropped to his knees then and there, begging her to let him get his hands on her. But that would never work because he didn’t just want her for a quick roll in the sheets.

He had a feeling if she knew what he really had in mind she would run the other way as fast as her pretty feet would carry her.

He was a little nervous, which was a totally new feeling to him. But he figured that was good, it would keep him on his toes. He didn’t want to botch things up like he had before.

She stopped in front of him, a little nervous too, he could tell by the way she clutched her little purse.

He held out his hand and in that moment he felt something monumental about to happen and a second of pure terror when she hesitated. Catching her gaze, he held it and slowly she laid her hand in his.

He breathed a sigh of relief and grinned down at her as she closed the door behind them.

It was a total lie that they had reservations at seven-fifteen. But he needed to work fast if he was going to keep her from leaving in the morning.

Placing a hand low on her back, he steered her through the lobby of the hotel and out into the setting sun. The last of the golden rays caught the fire in her hair and he stood for a moment just looking at her. She smiled at him and he smiled back as they continued walking to the car. Closing the car door after her, he went around to the driver’s side, praying what he had in mind for the evening would do the trick.

Brady had a heck of a time sliding into Darren’s little sports car gracefully in her new heels but she had managed. She wondered where they were going and stole little glances at him while he drove the car effortlessly through traffic.

Once the other cars thinned out she asked, “Where are we going?”

He glanced her way and, smiling, said, “It’s a surprise.”

She remembered the town well and she didn’t think there was a restaurant in the way he was heading. But it had been a long time, she could be wrong. All she could bring to mind was a few houses grouped together and…oh Lord. The Blacks’ farm was at the end of this road.

A simple dinner out in a public place suddenly turned awkward and intimate. Exactly what she had wanted to avoid.

“Are you taking me to your parents’ house?” she blurted out and her voice sounded loud even to her own ears in the quiet of the car.

“It used to be my parents’ house but they moved to Florida after I came home from college. It’s just me now,” he answered with a smile.

Brady thought about it for a moment and decided she didn’t like that any better, maybe even less.

Then something else occurred to her. Was he planning on seducing her? She had refused to even contemplate the thought until now. But how did she feel about it?

Glancing over at him, she decided it might be just what she needed. A quick, uncomplicated tangle between the sheets and she could put this whole infatuation with Darren Black behind her.

There was no way he was going to be anywhere near as good as she had built him up to be in her head all these years and then it would be over. Then she could go back to her quiet life of writing and leave it all behind her.

A little inspiration wouldn’t be unwanted anyway. It was getting harder and harder to write the intimate scenes from memory. It had been too long since she had found someone who caught her interest. But Darren certainly did.

Brady decided she wasn’t opposed to the idea of him seducing her at all. There was no reason she couldn’t move things along a little, just in case seduction wasn’t what he had in mind.

“Are you cooking?” she asked with a smile and turned toward him in the seat. It made the dress slide up her legs just enough to almost be indecent.

“Uh, no,” he said as his eyes jerked from her legs back to the road, “I’m not much of a cook.”

“Me either.” Actually she was a pretty good cook but she wasn’t getting dragged into cooking tonight.

“I didn’t expect you to cook, Brady, I had old Marge cook for us.”

“How is old Marge?” “Old Marge” had run the diner in town for years and had been old when they were kids.

“She’s okay, had some heart trouble last year but pulled through fine. Moving a little slower maybe, but not much.” They shared a smile. Marge moving slow at anything was beyond belief.

Brady turned to focus on the house as they pulled in the drive. She had always loved the way it looked, with the old-fashioned scrolls of wood in the roof peaks and the big wraparound porch. She had never been inside it and had always been jealous of Lissa for hanging here with Darren and the others.

The windows had little lights in them and the walk was lit with solar lights. Darren came around to open her door and offer his hand to help her out of the car.

But he didn’t let go as he led her down the walk and up the few stairs. Opening the door, he ushered her inside and Brady stopped cold when she got a look at the sprawling open floor plan.

But it wasn’t the rooms that made her stop. It was what he had done to them.

There were lit candles on every available surface and a huge vase of white roses on the low coffee table. They were her favorite.

“Darren?”

He was watching her and she caught his gaze. “Did you do this for me?” She sounded a little breathless but it couldn’t be helped.

“Yeah. It’s for you but I had a little help.” Just then Old Marge herself came out of the kitchen.

“I thought I heard you out here, Darren. Brady! Is that really you?”

“Hi, Marge, how are you?” Brady said, smiling at the gray-haired woman who hadn’t changed a day.

Marge surprised Brady when she wrapped her in a bear hug and was shockingly sturdy for the tiny woman she was.

“I’m just fine, child, and you look amazing! I always knew you were special.”

“Thank you.” Brady didn’t know what else to say.

“Darren, dinner is all set, I’ll just be on my way.” Within seconds she had her things in hand and was out the door.

“Slowed down, huh?”

Darren gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged. “Maybe not so much.”

“You do realize the whole town will know we had dinner in an hour.”

“I know, is that a problem for you, Brady?”

“No, not at all.”

“Dinner first or a glass of wine?”

“Wine would be great.” Brady hoped it would steady her racing heart and shaking hands.

Brady took a seat on the couch as Darren poured them both wine. The smell of the roses filled her nose and the candles made the whole room glow. It was a perfect setting for seduction and she no longer wondered if that’s what he had in mind.