“WHAT?” IT WAS A GOOD thing Scarlet had told me to pull over or I would have crashed. I turned on the car’s interior lights and shifted to face her. I was sure I hadn’t heard her right; if I had, she’d completely lost her mind.
“Before you say no, hear me out.” She spoke quickly, her eyes darting everywhere but on me. “I’m not asking you to date me or anything. It’ll be purely…sexual between us.” Her voice dropped an octave.
“What?” I said again like a stupid parrot. I had nothing.
“Please stop saying what,” she exclaimed and sighed loudly. “I thought no-strings-attached sex was a guy’s dream—unless you have someone right now?”
“I don’t.” I shrugged. I had lived that sex dream, and now I was doing the on-again, off-again thing with Eve, though even that wasn’t working out. “I don’t have anyone right now.” I stared at her. “Fuck. What are you doing, going around asking strangers to have sex with you?’
Her eyes widened in surprise. “You’re not a stranger, Tyler. We’ve known each other for practically all our lives. I presently lack experience. I’d like to change that, but I’m busy at work most of the time. It won’t take up much of your time. I was thinking we’d have sex a few times, just to make sure I learned everything I needed to know.” She squared her shoulders and waited for my answer. She was downright determined.
“What?” Shit, there I go again. It was just that she was making having sex sound like a class she was taking. “There’s much more to sex than…I mean, I can’t believe you.”
She covered her mouth and finally blushed. “Oh God.”
“Yeah, pray,” I grumbled. Do something else besides try to have sex with me. What was going on in her head? I needed to know. “I can’t believe you just propositioned me. Don’t you have any other men you can ask that you’re interested in?” Wait, why am I encouraging this?
She tilted her head down so I couldn’t see her face. “I have friends, but no one I want to have sex with. I’m healthy. I haven’t had anyone before, so you don’t have to worry.”
My mouth dropped open. Fuck me. “You’re a virgin too?”
“Don’t say it like it’s a curse word,” she said hoarsely. “I am a virgin, but I don’t want to be. I want to get it over and done with.”
“Sex isn’t something to just end your virginity.” I tightened my jaw. “Sex isn’t something you get rid of. Your first time should be with someone special.”
“Like it was for you with Angela Meyers?” She smirked.
I grinned, despite it all. Angela Meyers…we did it in her rec room when I was fifteen. I came within two minutes, but we did it two more times before she moved on to Joey Bronson. “You’re better than that. You should be with a man who loves you.”
She shook her head. “That may never happen. I don’t want to waste my life waiting.”
I rubbed my jaw. Any other woman, I’d take at her word. The thing was, Scarlet wasn’t just any woman. Our families knew each other. She was my sister’s best friend.
“Don’t you find me attractive?” she said, cutting into my thoughts. “I…felt you…”
I closed my eyes. Shit. What do I say to that? “I do, Scarlet, very much, but Coach Frost said it was better we didn’t get involved with anyone from the ballet.”
She wiped her cheek, and my stomach flipped over.
“You’ll meet someone—”
“Don’t,” she said, her voice thick. “Sorry I asked you. I’ll figure it out.”
I lowered my brow. She meant she’d figure it out with someone else, and I didn’t like the idea of some asshole fooling around and hurting her. I didn’t want to hurt her.
But could I do this?
If we were caught together, I’d have to hire a bodyguard to keep her brothers off me. Her mom would probably hire a hit man, not to mention, I wouldn’t be in a good way with Coach Frost.
I started the car and drove the rest of the way to her place. When we got there, I said, “Let me think on it. Don’t go around asking someone else, okay?”
Her lips spread into a smile. She was positively stunning when she was happy.
“I said think,” I repeated. “Not a yes or no. You’re not in the program?”
She shook her head.
Technically, it wasn’t against the rules, right? I sighed. “Let me think about it.”
“Thank you,” she said enthusiastically. “While you’re thinking, I’ll email you my schedule, and we can coordinate a time. How about next Monday on my day off?”
“I’ve got a game,” I replied. “Also, I haven’t agreed to do this with you, Scarlet.”
“I’ll come watch the game, and then you can give me my first sex lesson afterward,” she said, ignoring me. “I’ll take the subway back uptown after, or maybe get a taxi.”
“Hey, are you listening?” I grumbled. “You won’t take the subway. I’ll drive you home—if, and I mean if I say yes.”
“Great. Then it’s a plan,” she said, giving me her number and taking mine. She leaned over and brushed her soft lips against my cheek. “Thank you, Tyler.”
I watched her rush forward into the building.
I shook my head. Dammit. What was I doing?
My phone sounded. It was my sister Zoey.
“Did you take Scarlet home?” she asked, her tone clipped.
“Yeah, and I took her for dinner too, Mom,” I quipped. “Give it a rest.”
“I saw how you two were looking at each other today,” she said. “She might still have a crush on you.”
She did, though I hadn’t known it until just a moment before. “She’s sweet. It’s good she’s in town now.” That was about all she was getting from me.
“She’s not here for anything but ballet,” she said bossily. “She has a lot of people expecting her to achieve principal. Her family depends on her, and they sacrificed a lot to get her there. They all deserve a win and nothing to block her focus.”
“I have no intention of dating her,” I gritted out. “And what about you and your own focus on dance?”
“I may never be a soloist, but I’m not done with dancing,” she said. “I’m just telling you, don’t encourage her. Scarlet’s sensitive.”
And Scarlet was tired of everyone handling her like she was in bubble wrap. I got Scarlet. This handling her with kid gloves went beyond just her family. She was surrounded by people trying to control her life. It must have taken a lot for her to ask me for sex.
“Leave it, all right. I’m done with this conversation. Get back to your own life and mind your own business.” I hung up on her. However, on my drive home, I couldn’t help thinking about what she’d said. I didn’t want to hurt Scarlet. I just needed to find a way to talk her out of having sex with me…but how?