even asked her name?
Idiocy must run in the family.
As he mentally berated both himself and his brother, Dani’s forehead crinkled. “Damn,” she sighed, regret lacing her husky voice. Had she taken his silence as rejection? “Was I too forward?”
“What? No. Actually, I like that in a woman.” A lot. She was gorgeous, with her wild fall of dark hair and her long, lean body, but what made her sexy as hell was the sense that she knew what she wanted and wasn’t shy about going after it. When she’d first seen him in the hallway, the awareness in her gaze had been like a wave of heat, burning a tantalizing path.
He’d always been drawn to brunettes. In her body-hugging top, nails painted a fearless red, she looked like his fantasy made real. But, odds were, when he told her he wasn’t Bryce, she was going to be mortified.
They’d reached the parking lot. When he informed her of her mistake, would she bolt for her car? She’d be gone from his life as suddenly as she’d appeared. Everything inside him protested at the idea.
Guilt warred with lust. Sean was ready and willing to help her forget her problems and bolster her wounded ego. But she wants Bryce. Except, Bryce wouldn’t have been any good to her. Mr. Rules and Regulations would never go home with a woman whose name he’d only just learned; he’d be appalled by the very idea. If Dani wanted a good time, then she had—however inadvertently—chosen the right brother.
Even Sean’s ex-girlfriend, the one who’d despaired of his never amounting to anything, had said so. Tara’s parting words echoed in his mind. “If you and that sophisticated twin of yours could be combined into one person, you’d be the perfect guy. He’s the one with ambition and smarts...but, let’s face it, you sure know how to show a girl a good time.”
Unaware of his mental anguish, Dani smiled. “As long as I’m being blunt and inappropriate anyway, can I just say, now that I’ve seen you in short sleeves, I think it’s a shame you wear all those jackets?” Her gaze went to his arm, as tangible and arousing as a caress. She was attracted to him. Specifically.
It was impossible not to return her grin. “Want me to flex or anything? I live to serve.”
“Then have that drink with me,” she coaxed.
He took an involuntary step closer, breathing in her honey and vanilla scent. How could any man refuse her? “Absolutely.”
* * *
I CAN’T BELIEVE I’m doing this! Dani’s gaze darted to the rearview mirror, as if she had to make sure Gray’s SUV was still there. Without the physical evidence, this seemed more like a naughty daydream than real life. Her skin was tingling all over. Between adrenaline and hormones, she had to squeeze her fingers around the steering wheel to keep them from trembling.
Back in the parking lot, before they’d gone to their own cars, she’d thought he might kiss her. She’d barely been able to tear her gaze from his mouth. Had he been able to tell how hard her pulse was pounding? She’d been so turned-on that anything they’d done would have felt natural. The drive to the bar, however, allowed just enough time for nerves to creep in.
It had been months since she’d had sex and years since she’d been with anyone other than her ex-fiancé. Needing moral support, she instructed her phone to call Meg.
“Hey,” her friend answered, sounding relieved. “I’m glad it’s you! I’ve been trying to give you space today, in case you didn’t feel like talking, but—”
“I don’t mean to cut you off, but we don’t have much time.”
“Well, that sounds dramatic. Like, you’re fleeing the country from bad guys and need to tell me you’ve left something important in a bus-station locker. Or you’re going to ask me whether you should cut the blue wire or the red wire.”
Dani laughed. Apparently, all the action movies she made her friend watch had left an impression. “I went into the office today, and Hot Architect was there! Well, Gray.” In the military, nicknames were common; she rarely thought anything of using them. But calling him Gray felt intimate and gave her a rush of pleasure. “Short for his last name, Grayson.”
“You’re already on a nickname basis?” Meg asked, sounding impressed. “You work fast.”
You don’t know the half of it. “I have to tell you something, and if you love me, you won’t talk me out of this.”
“This promises to be good,” Meg said cheerfully. “And I think we both know I’m the ‘jump out of the plane, worry about the parachute on the way down’ friend. You’re the voice of reason who talks me out of things. Or tries to—I rarely listen to good sense.”
Maybe Meg’s “seize the day” attitude is rubbing off on me. “Gray’s in the car behind me right now, following me to the bar in front of my complex. And if things go well over drinks...”
Meg let out a squeal of delight. “You’re taking him home with you!”
“I haven’t decided for sure.” The hell you haven’t, her libido argued. “Would sleeping with him be completely crazy?” Not that sane had gotten her anywhere, except dumped and relocated to a crappy apartment.
“Crazy’s what you need tonight. Celebrate your freedom! Instead of tying the knot, you can tie up Hot Architect.”
Dani grinned. “So much for any worry that you might judge me for seducing a stranger.” Despite how often their paths crossed, she knew almost nothing about him.
“No judging! But for safety’s sake, check in with me tonight and again in the morning. If I don’t get proof of life, I’m showing up at your place with Nolan.”
Morning? Recalling how good Gray looked in his black T-shirt, she shivered. What would it be like to wake up in those muscular arms? Assuming he was the kind of guy who stayed the night instead of leaving afterward.
“I’m not getting up early just so I can run out for a paper with the date on it and send you a picture,” Dani joked, “but I will text you.” She was grateful to have someone who looked out for her. The two of them had met in the waiting area of a salon four years ago, striking up conversation over the trials of curly hair in a humid climate, and now they were as close as sisters. Meg had even tried to fix up Dani with one of her brothers, saying that if things worked out they could be sisters-in-law.
“I’m keeping my phone by me for the rest of the night,” Meg said. “And hoping for salacious details.”
Dani braked at a red light, swallowing hard. The bar was on the left just on the other side of the intersection. “I’m about to turn into the parking lot.”
“Okay. All kidding aside, there’s something you should consider. As your best friend, I have to ask...are you wearing good first-impression underwear? Please tell me it’s something from the store!” Meg extended Dani a special friends-and-family discount.
Dani laughed, her nerves dissipating. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m wearing plain cotton. The set matches. Do I at least get credit for that?”
Would Gray have preferred something lacy and silk to the basic sky-blue pieces? Then again, depending on how the evening went,
