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"Nice."
I jumped, clasping my palpitating chest. I turned to find Brandt standing in front of the bed with my bra hanging over his head. He slowly peeled it off and dangled it from a finger. I covered my mouth, somewhat embarrassed. "You and your brother have serious privacy issues."
As he spun the bra in the air, he wittily replied, "To be fair, you did say it was practically my house, too." He seduced me with his deep dimples and tossed my bra onto the bed. "Are you ready to go?"
"Almost."
"I'll wait for you in the kitchen." He smiled as he closed the door on his way out.
I didn't know what it was about him, but I always seemed to be holding my breath in his presence. I took the pins out of my hair and brushed through it quickly. Being in a bun all day had given my hair a sassy kink, perfect with the dress and the frisky feeling sizzling through my veins. Again, no makeup, so natural would have to suffice.
Tonight was going to be interesting.
Brandt drove a super nice car. And I mean very nice. It was a dark silver, sleek Jaguar and it looked brand new. His company must be doing really well. As if I wasn't already feeling highly self-aware of my stray status, this just catapulted me into complete apprehension.
He opened the driver's side door. "Want to drive it?"
Dumfounded was the word for the moment. "Ummm, really?"
"You're almost salivating, so I thought maybe you were into cars."
I was definitely in awe. "Sure. What the hell."
I started to skip over and then remembered I wasn't wearing a bra, so I slowed my pace. I think he noticed, because he started chuckling under his breath. When I reached him, I hit him jokingly, making him quite aware that I caught his laugh. He grabbed my arm gently, making my insides shiver from my head to my toes. He caressed the inside of my wrist with his thumb, burning trails of desire. My heart was beating harder now as I tried to keep my breathing steady so he didn't notice the effect he was having on me.
"Do you remember how to drive?" he asked slowly, dragging out the syllables.
"It's like riding a bike, right? My instincts should kick in.”
"I hope so, or we might be in trouble," he said seductively.
Oh, we were in trouble, all right. Just a different kind.
I slipped into the seat, covering my chest shyly as Brandt stood above me, leaning over the door. I caught a glimpse of his mischievous grin just before he looked away. I liked having his attention. The hem of my dress had inched up dangerously close to my bottom when I slipped in the driver’s seat, so I pulled it down, hiding a blush, as I lifted my leg inside. He lingered in the doorframe for another moment before closing it and sliding into the passenger side.
"You ready?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and a tickle in my chest.
"Are you?" he asked smoothly.
I didn't answer him, but yeah, I was ready. I turned the key and revved the ignition. I easily moved the stick into reverse and rolled us out of the driveway.
We were the last house on a very long, narrow road parallel to the ocean cliffs. The sun had just set, and the sky was lit up softly with twilight. My hands shifted the gears easily as my feet worked the pedals.
"Like riding a bike," he murmured under his breath.
His words raised goose bumps on my arms. I sneaked a quick glance over to him and caught the reflection of a tortured soul in the window. I sighed to myself, wondering what happened to him that haunted him so much. We were both working through unimaginable things, which elevated the stakes of our friendship and possibly contributed to the intensity of our immediate attraction.
We needed each other.
"Turn right just ahead." He pointed.
"Where are we going?" I inquired.
"Our favorite spot." He smiled.
"Are you sure I'm not intruding?"
"I texted Grady. He thought it was a great idea."
