Susan Mallery - Sweet Spot

“But maybe-”

Nicole cut her off with a look. “This is not a good time to play the middle child.” She sank onto the sofa. “I just don’t get it. What went wrong? Why would she do this to me?”

“I don’t think it was totally about you. I think it just happened.”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Is that what she told you? And you believe her?”

“You can’t know she was trying to hurt you.”

“Maybe not, but I have a good idea. She was angry with me. She hated that her half of the bakery was tied up in a trust until she was twenty-five. She was bugging me to buy her out now so she could go do who knows what.”

Claire sat next to her and touched her hand. “I know she was difficult and you did your best. She got into a lot of trouble, but to do something like this? And what about Matt? Didn’t she care about him?”

Nicole no longer had an answer. Jesse changed guys as easily as most other women changed shoes. But Matt had been different, or so she’d thought. Jesse had dated him for a few months and really seemed to care about him.

“Maybe she was playing him, too,” she said slowly. “She swore she loved him, that he was the one. It was all a big game to her.”

“I’m sorry.” Claire hugged her. “I’m so sorry.”

Sympathy was a little too close to pity for Nicole’s taste. She accepted the hug, reminded herself she wasn’t crying ever again, then stood.

“I should go.”

“No. You shouldn’t be alone.”

“I’m fine,” Nicole insisted. Suddenly the large room seemed too small. “I haven’t told Drew. I’m not going to. That’s Jesse’s job.”

“I won’t say anything and Wyatt won’t, either.”

Because Claire would tell her fiancé, who just happened to be Drew’s stepbrother. Talk about a mess.

Claire walked her to the door. “What can I do to help?”

“Knowing you’re here helps.”

“Are you sure?”

Nicole nodded. “I’ll call if I need anything else.”

She walked to her SUV and got inside. After starting the engine, she stared out the windshield. Where was she supposed to go now? What was she supposed to do? Her sister was pregnant by her soon-to-be ex-husband. Nicole was a cliché. She could be a character in a soap.

Jesse was unlikely to keep this kind of information to herself which meant soon everyone would know. Talk about humiliating.

She reached into her purse for a tissue and fumbled with a business card instead. She pulled it out and stared at the printing on the front, then reached for her cell phone and dialed.

When the phone was answered, she asked for the extension on the card.

“Hawkins.”

“It’s Nicole,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. This was not a good idea but it was the only one she could come up with.

“You’re an unexpected surprise.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“I like surprises.”

His voice was teasing. That gave her courage. “Can you talk for a second?”

“Sure. Is this a regular conversation or should I close my door?”

“You might want to close it.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a chuckle. “Okay. I wouldn’t have figured you were into phone sex. I’ll admit I’ve never done it, but I’m a fast learner.”

She squeezed the cell phone so tight, her fingers hurt. “I have to ask you a question. Did you mean what you said before? What you’ve been hinting at? Do you want to sleep with me or is it all a game?”

“Nicole, what’s going on?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Of course I’m interested.”

Thank God. She sucked in a breath. “Then here’s the deal. I’ll be your personal sex kitten. I’ll be available when, where and how you want.”

“That’s a hell of an offer.”

“There’s a catch.”

“I almost don’t care what it is.”

Now came the scary part. “I want you to pretend to be my adoring boyfriend. I want us to be seen in public. I want you to be all over me. You’ll be faithful, you won’t flirt with anyone else. I get to show you off to all my friends and in a few weeks, I want to publicly dump you.”

He was going to say no, she told herself. She was asking for too much. Worse, he was going to know she’d asked and that would be a whole new level of humiliation.

The silence stretched between them. She closed her eyes and held her breath. He was going to say no. Why wouldn’t he?

“Why?” he asked.

“I have something to prove.” And her pride to salvage.

“Is this about your ex-husband?”

“A little.”

“Are you still in love with him?”

“No.”

“You sure?”

“More than sure. He cheated and I’m angry, but I’m not hurt. He wants to get back together. I don’t. I’m just tired of how everyone’s acting. The pity is the worst. The knowing looks. I want to prove I’m totally fine.”

It was as close to the truth as she could get and not start sobbing.

“I don’t do relationships,” he said. “Not serious ones. I like serial monogamy, but I don’t do permanent.”

“Me, either.” Wait a second. Did that mean he was saying yes?

“Brittany would have to be told that we weren’t serious. I don’t want her worrying.”

“Just don’t tell her the specifics of the deal and I’m good with that.”

“Not a problem. I don’t discuss my sex life with her and I don’t need her knowing I had to make a deal to get you into bed.”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “So you agree?”

“Yes. When do you turn into my…what was it you said? Oh, yeah. When do you turn into my personal sex kitten?”

Relief tasted sweet. It was immediately followed by sexual anticipation and an ache between her legs.

“Whenever you want.”

“I can be at your place in twenty minutes,” he said.

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Can you be waiting naked?”

“If it’s important to you.”

“It is.”

NICOLE RACED HOME and ran into the house. Actually she moved as quickly as she could considering her knee was still stiff, but it was almost like running.

She looked around downstairs, decided it was clean enough, then moved up the stairs.

Her bedroom was fairly tidy. She smoothed the covers on the bed, tossed all the clothes lying around into the closet and shut the door, brushed her teeth, then stared at herself in the mirror.

Naked. Hawk had very specifically said naked. She fingered the hem of her T-shirt and knew there was no way she could meet him downstairs not wearing anything. It would be easier to learn to fly.

She turned back to her closet, pulled open the door and stared at the contents. Okay, what would be a good compromise?

She spotted a spaghetti-strapped sundress in pink. She didn’t like to go braless, so she’d never worn it. But the dress was pretty, feminine, and she would only be wearing panties underneath, so that was something.

She quickly ripped off her T-shirt and stepped out of her jeans, then tossed her bra aside. She shimmied into the dress, then closed the closet behind her. After giving herself a quick once-over, she made her way downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

Until that moment, she hadn’t had time to panic. She’d had too much to do. But now, as she walked toward the front door, terror gripped her. What on earth was she doing? This was crazy. Casual sex with a man she barely knew? She’d never done that before.

She opened the door. Hawk stood on her front porch, six feet three inches of gorgeous male.

He wore a polo shirt with the high school logo on one side, khakis and athletic shoes. He looked dangerous and sexy and there was an air of controlled expectation that nearly made her faint.

“Hi,” he said, then smiled. “I had to make a stop.”

He held up a small plastic bag from a local drugstore.

She peered at it. “You stopped to run errands on your way over?”

“You don’t do this much, do you?”

“What?”

“The sex-kitten thing.”

She felt herself blushing. “No. Why?”

“I didn’t run errands. I bought condoms.”

She swallowed. “Uh, good idea.” Then she stepped back to let him in, mostly because leaving him on the porch would require more conversation and she wasn’t sure she was capable of speaking just now.

The reality of what she’d offered crashed into her. Was she insane? Sex with Hawk? Like that would ever work. He was amazing. No doubt the five or six hundred women he’d been with had also been amazing. How was she supposed to measure up? She’d only been with a couple of guys before Drew. Make that one other guy. What if she’d been doing it wrong all this time?

“Second thoughts?” Hawk asked.

“And a pressing need to vomit.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Did she have a choice? She squeezed her eyes shut, then looked at him. “I’m not that experienced. Before I was married, I didn’t play around a lot.” Ever. The word she was looking for was ever. “I’m not sure I can measure up.”

He moved closer. “Is that all?”

“Isn’t it enough?”

He dropped the bag onto the coffee table and cupped her face in his hands. “I was married for twelve years. Serena was the only woman I’d been with. Since then, there have been a couple.”

“Hundred?”

He chuckled. “Less than ten.”

“That’s not possible.”

He leaned in and brushed his mouth against hers. “I get a lot of offers, but I’m picky. I know my reputation. Most of it is cheap talk. I will admit you’re the first woman I had to negotiate to get.”

Was he telling the truth? She hoped so. It made her feel better, except…“Don’t expect too much. I can’t handle the pressure right now. This isn’t going to be miraculous or anything.”

“Of course it is.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She held on to him as he tilted his head and kissed her. His mouth was warm and sure, firm without being demanding. She parted for him immediately and welcomed him inside.