Two days later she was deep into billing when her phone rang. She reached over, picking it up. “Accounting, this is Taylor. How may I help you?”
“How about lunch today?” Reed.
“Why?” she said back, fighting the urge to smile. Wendy was busy texting someone and not paying attention as always, but Taylor wasn’t taking a chance.
“Because I haven’t seen you in over a week and I need a reason to. I can’t keep coming in there and asking for invoices. That would raise suspicion when I’m sure you’d rather I didn’t.”
“No, I don’t think so,” she said, keeping her voice neutral.
“So... lunch? You can leave your desk for once.”
“When and where?” she asked, picking up a pen like she was jotting down notes.
“Wow, you said yes.” He sounded surprised.
“Not yet.”
“But you will,” he said, then rattled off the information. “I’ll see you there.”
“I’ll get back to you soon,” she said and disconnected the call, then went about as if she was trying to find some information.
Not five minutes later her cell phone went off. She grabbed it to see a text from Reed. It’s soon. I’ll see you there.
He would because she was going to be stupid and meet him. Why not? Like his father said—they were friends and friends had lunch now and again together. Right?
***
Reed couldn’t believe Taylor fell for it.
He’d spent the past week trying to think of ways to see her and was coming up empty.
He had no other invitations lined up for parties and didn’t feel like making them up. Lying never sat well with him.
Honesty was what he wanted and what he always gave other people. Too bad so many people didn’t give him the same courtesy.
He had a proposition for her and he was sure she wasn’t going to like it one bit, but if he didn’t ask, he’d never know.
He hadn’t been stupid or crazy. Nor did he need his sister pointing out that Taylor seemed more than a friend to him.
Sure they hadn’t spent that much time together, but it didn’t seem to matter for some reason. He was drawn to her and he was fighting it.
If he wasn’t mistaken she was too.
Since they seemed to think alike for so many things, why not see if she was agreeable to this too?
He was pressing his luck, but he had nothing to lose.
He’d been sitting in the booth for five minutes waiting for Taylor to show, hoping she didn’t bail on him.
She didn’t.
“Have you been waiting long?” she asked, sliding into the booth opposite of him. It was too much to hope she’d sit next to him.
“A few minutes. I figured if I wasn’t here before you, you’d just leave.”
“You’re probably right. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m here right now as it is,” she said, her lips twitching slightly.
She really was stunning. The kind of natural beauty he’d always been attracted to but fought against. She never wore a lot of makeup, but her skin was flawless, her eyes so crystal clear with her long dirty blonde hair. He’d bet it got lighter in Florida from the sun.
In the past few years he was too rough and too hard to go for anyone that looked or acted like her. He knew it and didn’t press his luck. Didn’t want to worry about rejection that he’d felt more often in his earlier years than he cared to admit to anyone.
“Curiosity,” he said.
“Partially. The other part was I guess I wanted to see you again.”
“Why’s that?” he asked. He hoped she was honest like he’d been. That she’d mention the steaming kiss they shared a week ago. The one where he pulled her in, his lips too solid and rough on hers. Her mouth opening, their tongues tangling, her body yielding to his like silly putty that he could mold any way he wanted.
He was so tempted to let his hands roam and wander, but he held back. Too much too soon would send her scurrying away, he knew.
So instead he put everything he had—all the techniques he’d mastered—into the kiss. Into tasting her essence, her urgency, and her frustration.
She’d wanted more, he was positive. How did he know that? Because he felt the same and was wise enough to recognize it in someone else.
“I guess I needed to see if how we ended that date was clouded by the night we shared or if it was something more.”
“And now that we’re sitting across from each other?” he asked, holding his breath and knowing her answer was going to determine the next conversation. On whether he voiced his proposition or not.
“I’m more confused than ever,” she said.
That didn’t sound good. “Care to explain that?”
She grinned. “I’d like to say it was the night we had. One where I said I was doing you a favor and then was going to walk away. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that way.”
If his chest puffed up a bit, he tried to hide that fact. “Well then, I believe we are thinking alike.”
He wasn’t about to admit his own confusion. That he’d mastered the get in and get out with a woman. Wine them, dine them, share a few nights of pleasure, and walk away.
Yet here he was wanting something more with Taylor. Not a relationship. That’d be crazy since she didn’t want one just as much as he didn’t. But he wanted more and this was his compromise. And maybe if he stopped lying to himself, it could lead into the ‘R’ word.
“If you say so,” she said.
The waitress came over and took their drink and food orders, leaving them in private again. He’d purposely chosen this booth in the corner and was glad.
“I do say so.”
“So I have to assume there was a reason you wanted lunch, more than an excuse for why you haven’t seen me in a week. You could have easily passed by my office, but haven’t.”
“There is a reason. Though I’ve been tempted to visit you, I really didn’t want to draw attention to you because I’m sure you’d get annoyed.”
“I would have. Shoot. What’s the real reason for this lunch?”
“I’ve got a proposition for you,” he said, then paused when their drinks were delivered.
He picked his soda up and took a drink, wetting his throat. Why was it dry? When was the last time he was nervous over something like this? Why did it matter so much when it never had before?
Was his family right? Was he really sick of the life he’d been leading? Well, he knew the answer to that—he was. Which was why he’d tried to avoid it for the past six months.
But was he really ready for something more? That, he didn’t know the answer to but was willing to at least explore the possibility. Maybe.
“I’m not sure I want to hear what you’re going to say,” she said and the air that was in his chest earlier was slowly leaking out like the squeaking from a balloon full of helium being pulled open by prying fingers.
Here goes nothing. “Since we both have such a horrible opinion on relationships, I thought, we’re friends...”
“Seriously?” she said, laughing. “You’re not about to ask me to have sex with you, are you? A friends with benefits situation?”
“What’s so funny?” he asked, grinning at her. At least she didn’t stand up and walk away.
“Do people actually ask to do that?” She was shaking her head like this whole thing was a joke he was playing on her.
“When was the last time you had sex?” he asked, his smile still in place.
Hers dropped. “None of your damn business.”
“I’m guessing quite a while. Someone burned you and you’re staying away from relationships. You don’t picture me the type of person to go for a one-night stand when you have an itch.”
“Not at all,” she said firmly. “Yet you are asking me this right now?”
“I am,” he said. “But it’s not a one-night stand. It’s more.”
“Until you get tired of it. No, thank you.”
“Can’t we go into this with rules? Friends that could set boundaries?”
“I can’t believe you’re serious.” She paused, then asked, “When was the last time you had sex?”
He felt that the way he answered this was going to affect her decision. He was going for honesty. “Six months.”
“No way,” she said.
“I haven’t lied to you once about anything. Why would I lie about this?”
She tilted her head, seemed to think about things, then said, “Why?”
“Why what? Why haven’t I had sex in that long?” At her nod, he continued, “Because I’m tired of what I’m stuck in. It’s the only answer I can come up with right now.”
“So you think friends with benefits is better than picking up some bimbo in a bar?” she asked, crossing her arms. “I’m sure you could find plenty of women to agree to this arrangement so I’ve got no idea why you’re asking me.”
“Yeah, I could. But they’d want more and you don’t. If there is anyone that is more sour than I am about the opposite sex, it’s you. I can see it in your mannerisms and your tone. But I also didn’t miss how you reacted when I touched you the other night,” he whispered, leaning into her across the table. “I didn’t miss the way your hands wrapped around my neck or your hips involuntarily pressing into mine. The way your tongue was more aggressive, like you wanted to devour me rather than push me away.”
Her face was flushing and he had her. He knew he did. She’d never deny it. “Not the point,” she said.
“I think the point is, you’re very tempted by what I’m asking but are afraid to say yes.”
“Why would I be afraid to say yes?” she asked, tilting her chin up.
“Because that would be admitting you’re attracted to me and can be weak around a man. I’m giving you the opportunity to be weak in the bedroom and not worry about anything else. What could be so hard about that?”