Delaney

It hadn’t been easy waiting for date night with Sebastian. When he’d dropped me off on Sunday, he’d done his best to convince me to pack a bag and go back to his place for the night. It had been tempting, but it already felt like we were moving too fast. That was a mistake I’d made before. There was also Sebastian’s age. Most of the time, I didn’t even notice he was so young. In fact, I often forgot about the age gap when we were together. That was easy to do since Sebastian had his life more together than most people my age. While he might be working for his mother’s company now, he’d had a successful career in the Portland area before moving back to take this position. He’d bought a home that I definitely couldn’t afford. I lived a comfortable, but far from extravagant, life on my income.

When my doorbell rang at eight-thirty, I was surprised. Sebastian hadn’t messaged me to say he was early. He seemed like the type who’d update me if his schedule changed.

Looking through my peephole, I found my cousin, Bentley, on the other side of the door. Bentley had been born in this area, my mother’s sister having moved here after she married. My aunt and uncle were great, if not a little strange at times. My uncle had started out as a mechanic, and he now owned his own shop. He loved cars, which explained the names of my three cousins, Lexus, Bentley, and Mercedes. Bentley was the sanest of the bunch.

Even dressed in a prim business suit, Bentley had a sweet, girl-next-door look, complete with curly brown hair and freckles. She had a curvy frame that made me somewhat jealous. It’s not that I didn’t have curves, they were just nothing compared to Bentley’s.

“Hey, Bennie!” I greeted her with a warm hug as I motioned her into my house.

“Hey, Delaney,” she began. “Sorry for stopping by unannounced. I lost my phone at the airport. It’s been one of those weeks.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I told her. She sounded really frazzled and upset. “Are you okay?”

“No, but I’ll be fine,” she assured me. “I just met a nice guy on the flight, and his number was on my phone. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Maybe you’ll run into each other again,” I remarked. “It could be really romantic.”

She snorted. “I seriously doubt that, but it’s fine. I’m too busy to get involved with someone, anyway.”

“Then I take it you didn’t come by here to have me comfort you in your time of loss,” I teased.

She snorted. “Definitely not. I came by to tell you that your ex-husband is in the area.”

“Cody?” I screeched.

“How many ex-husbands do you have?” she asked with a huff before her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Sorry. That was really bitchy.”

“I’ll forgive you if you tell me what you know about Cody being out here,” I offered. “I spoke to Elsa Mae just over a week ago, and she didn’t mention anything about Cody coming to California.”

“Your mother apparently called mine to say Cody was out here to take care of some unfinished business and right some wrongs,” Bentley began. “Your mom said he had big plans. My mom read it to mean he’s coming to try to get back together with you. I guess Elsa Mae’s having health issues.”

“She is?” I asked, no longer nearly as concerned with where Cody was. Elsa Mae hadn’t mentioned anything about health issues.

Bentley reached out and squeezed my hand. “She has lung cancer,” she said softly. “I guess she’s been keeping it a secret.”

“Oh,” was all I could think to say. I loved Elsa Mae, and I was beginning to see why Cody might be in the area. It had always been Elsa Mae’s dream for us to get back together. Selfish dick or not, Cody loved his mother. He might even believe getting back together with me was a good idea because it would make her happy. No matter how much I loved Elsa Mae, that wasn’t going to happen. “Cody didn’t actually say he wanted to get back together with me, did he?” I asked, certain my mom would have called to tell me if that was the case.

Bentley shook her head. “No, but my mom sent me over here to warn you he’s in the area. I suggested she just call, but she was worried you’d be upset. She is really pissed about him being out here. You know how my mom feels about Cody.”

I laughed at the reminder. My aunt, Gigi Sue Whittier, was a five foot spitfire. She’d once threatened to fly to Texas to cut Cody’s balls off for cheating on me. She’d been so descriptive, Cody had stayed away while I packed my bags.

I chatted with Bentley a little longer, mostly about the hot guy she’d met on her flight. Too bad she’d lost his number. My cousin had been celibate far too long. I realized it was the pot calling the kettle black, but it seemed that while I was getting laid, I thought everyone should be getting laid.

The doorbell rang shortly after nine, and when I checked the peephole, I found Sebastian there this time.

“That’s my date,” I told her.

“Date?” Bentley practically gasped. “I’ve been here over thirty minutes, and you didn’t tell me you’re going on a date. Don’t you dare say it’s no big deal.”

“It is kind of a big deal,” I admitted before opening the door for Sebastian. He was dressed in gray pants and a white dress shirt. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. I could tell he’d just come from the office. I was certain he’d taken off a tie and possibly a jacket. Seeing him like this made me want to role-play dominant billionaire and slutty secretary. I was certain I couldn’t pull off reluctant secretary with Sebastian looking this good.

“You look fantastic,” he murmured as he leaned in to brush his lips against mine.

In jeans and a dark blue sweater, I had nothing on Sebastian, but I knew he meant the words.

Bentley cleared her throat, reminding me she was still in the room. “Not a first date, I see.” Her lips were twitching as she made that statement.

“Sorry, for being so rude,” Sebastian told her.

“Me too,” I agreed. “We shouldn’t have ignored you. Sebastian, this is my cousin, Bentley. Bentley, this is Sebastian.”

They shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries before Bentley finally left.

“We should probably leave before I give in to the temptation to strip you naked and lick every inch of your body,” he rasped out. “If that happens, I might need to spank your perfect ass.”

My breathing quickened, and my body tightened with need. “I like that suggestion. Seeing you dressed like this, I was hoping we could play dominant billionaire and slutty secretary.”

Sebastian pulled me against his chest and kissed me until I was moaning and clutching his shirt. When he finally pulled his mouth away from mine, his eyes were dark with passion. I could feel his erection pressed against my belly. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

“Bedroom?” I asked hopefully.

Sebastian shook his head before pulling away. “Anticipation is half the fun. Let’s go get some dinner. I haven’t eaten since before noon.”

“No tiki bar?” I asked.

“We can always go there after dinner,” he offered.

“Back here is better,” I insisted. “Eat fast.”