Accidental Sex Goddess (8 page)

“I’m not looking for a relationship,” he told Halie.

Halie laughed, surprising him. “Neither is Reese.”

Hell.
Maybe that was why she was suddenly so infatuated with him. Because back when she’d been looking for love, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with Mark. It was nothing new. He understood what women expected from him. Why should Reese be any different? “Why do you want to involve me in this?”

A slow, devious smile curled her lips. This woman was dangerous. “Think about what could come of it. Use your imagination.”

He didn’t have to. He could easily list ten reasons why he’d like a woman like Reese on the other side of a candlelit table. And one why he couldn’t. “She’s Ben’s.”

Halie arched one perfect brow. “Is she? He’s interested? Romantically? He’s told you this?”

Fuck
. No and no.

“More importantly,” Halie went on, “does Reese want him?”

“Well, once—”

“I’m not talking about the past. Does she want him
now
?”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Mark muttered. He shouldn’t want anything to do with Reese, but that hadn’t stopped him six years ago and it didn’t stop him now. “Listen, I appreciate what you do, but I think you’ll need to find someone else for this. It’s too complicated.”

Halie stood, smoothing her skirt again. She withdrew a business card from her purse. “Think about it.”

And he did, but not for the reasons she thought.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“What’s sexier than a Halloween masquerade ball?”

“Exactly,” Reese said, clutching the phone and breathing a giant sigh of relief. In a week’s time, she’d found a location, a caterer, and a band, and now she’d secured a sponsor in Corrella’s Closet, a high-end lingerie store. “Would you be interesting in donating an item or two to our silent auction as well?”

“Oh, I have just the thing,” Corrella purred. “I’m so excited I can be part of this event. I adore Halie so much. Her program saved my marriage.”

Reese’s phone buzzed, and she grabbed it as the woman detailed the troubles in her pre-SG 101 marriage.

Her phone said she had a text from Ben, so she slid her finger across the screen to open it.

Brunch at my mom’s in the morning? Or would that send your potential dates the wrong message
?

Reese bit back a smile.

“But suddenly,” Corrella was saying, “all these men from my past were showing up in my life and I took a closer look at
my part
in ending all those relationships. It was eye-opening.”

“That’s wonderful,” Reese said as another text message made her phone vibrate in her hand.

If it would help, I’ll be rude to you the whole time. Call you names, flip you the bird. Whatever Lance would have considered appropriate between friends
.

Reese stifled a giggle and forced her attention back to her phone call. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for you to be a part of our event. Almost Home makes a difference in so many women’s lives.”

“Happy to do it, Reese,” Corrella said. “Send that contract over, and I’ll get to it first thing Monday.”

Reese ended the call and turned her attention back to her cell.

Can you give me a ride?
she typed.

Pick you up at nine
.

She imagined this was what it was like to have an addiction. On the one hand, she knew she needed to change things between her and Ben if she really wanted to eventually have a meaningful relationship. On the other hand, he was her best friend, and being around him—whether people wanted to call it flirting or not—made her smile.

Reese had met Ben in college, but not in the typical way college friends meet. They hadn’t met in their dorm or shared a beer at a party. Instead, Ben had been privy to one of Reese’s most embarrassing moments.

The blind date had been Masey’s idea. She knew a guy who had a brother who sounded
perfect
for Reese. Reese hadn’t been so sure but Masey had talked her into it through a series of clichés.
“It’ll be great!” “You’re only young once!” “You need to let your hair down and have some fun!”

Reluctantly, Reese had agreed. It wasn’t as if she wanted to be single, but bookish and a little awkward, she didn’t have a great track record for attracting guys.

They’d decided to meet at a bar by campus. She’d be the brunette in the red shirt, he’d be the guy in the Yankees cap.

After walking in the bar doors a few minutes early, she took a seat at the bar. She wore a pair of Tricia’s jeans. When Reese objected they were too tight, Masey had insisted they highlighted her curves. And as she sat at the bar, they squeezed her thighs and she felt suffocated and hot even though she had paired them with a light knit red tee.

At Masey’s urging, she’d left her hair down, and the heat in the bar had her sweating under her heavy hair. Sweat accumulated at the base of her neck. Twisting her hair, she held it off her neck.

“Hot day out there,” the bartender had said.

Reese looked away from the door and looked up. “What?” Tall, broad shouldered, sandy blond hair, and kind gray eyes, the sight of him had her darting her tongue out to wet her lips.

He smiled and grabbed a glass. “Looks like you could use a drink.”

“Would you hate me if I wanted to start with water?”

“Not at all,” he said, filling the glass with ice.

When she accepted the water, she was all too aware of their fingers brushing. She took a long drink before she spoke. “I thought I’d be escaping the summer heat when I decided to stay in Chicago for the summer.”

He waved a hand. “It’ll pass.” The pub was deserted, and he propped his elbows on the bar and leaned toward her. “Where you from?”

“Kentucky,” she said.

“And you came up here for school?”

“University of Chicago,” she supplied. “But no redneck jokes, okay?”

“What? Couldn’t get into Yale?”

She rolled her eyes.

“You’re a junior?” The door chimed as he asked, and he waved to the patron.

“Yes, I—”

“Are you Reese Regan?” someone asked behind her.

Reese’s breath caught and she hopped off the bar stool. She’d nearly forgotten why she was here.

“Hi!” She offered her hand, taking in the man before her.

Really, it seemed unfair to judge his appearance after talking to the hottie behind the bar. Her date was cute. Average height, slim build. A few scraggly pieces of dark hair stuck out from under his ball cap.

“You must be Trevor,” she said.

Trevor looked her over, his gaze sliding slowly from her carefully tamed hair down to her cute but sensible ballet flats.

Reese wasn’t the kind of woman who got a lot of once-overs, and if this was how they felt, she hoped she never would be. Trevor’s gaze wasn’t so much appreciating as it was appraising, and everything about his body language said he wasn’t impressed.

“Damn,” he muttered, finally bringing his eyes back to her face. “I told Derrick no fatties.”

Then, as if that settled everything, the asshole turned on his heel and walked out of the bar.

Reese swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat. Cheeks burning, she turned to retrieve her purse and run back to her summer sublet.

The bartender stopped her with a hand over hers. “If you leave now, you’ll just feel like shit for the rest of the day.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look him in the eye after he’d been witness to her humiliation. “I can’t imagine staying is going to change that,” she said softly.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared at the floor. The warmth of the bartender’s hand left hers but she still couldn’t look at him.

She took a deep, fortifying breath.
Time to put your chin up and go home.

“Hey.” He ducked to catch her eye. The bartender stood on her side of the bar now. “Don’t you dare,” he said softly, “give that loser one more thought.”

She looked into his eyes, swallowed hard. “Okay.”

He gave a curt nod. “That’a girl.” Stepping back, he winked. “Now tell me what your drink is. It’s on the house.”

“I don’t suppose you have any good wine,” she hedged.

He slid around the back side of the bar and chuckled. “This establishment caters to the college crowd, so unless you idea of a
good wine
is cheap white zin—”

Reese shuddered. As an impoverished college student, she couldn’t really afford the good stuff, but her parents had brought her up on fine wine. “I’ll pass, thanks.”

“This is what you need,” he said. He poured her a shot of amber liquid and pushed it across the bar.

Reese frowned. “What is it?”

“Tequila. Drink of choice for any self-respecting heartbroken college girl.”

She scowled. “I am not heartbroken. I’m mortified.”

“You’re thinking about the ass again.” He nudged the shot an inch closer. “This will correct that.”

She gave a sharp nod. “Fair enough.” She threw it back and winced as it went down. It hit her belly hot and fast, making her draw in a sharp breath. “Well, then.”

He refilled her glass.

She shook her head and held up a hand. “I know my limits.”

He raised a brow. “Have you stopped believing what the asshole said yet?”

Point taken, she threw back the second shot.

When he smiled at her, the warmth in her belly grew beyond the boundaries of the hot trail left by the tequila. “I’m Reese,” she said softly. “Thanks for saving the day.”

“Ben.” He whisked the empty shot glass and wiped the bar in front of her. “And I didn’t do a damn thing.”

Something pulled inside her chest as she studied him. She swallowed. “So, what about you? Are you a student?”

“I’m finishing up a degree in construction management—two semesters left.”

“Oh, so you’re my age.”

He chuckled. “Not unless you, Miss University of Chicago, are also on the six-year plan.”

She waved a hand. “Doesn’t really matter in the end. What are you going to do with that degree?”

“I’m going to build houses for people who have more money than they know what to do with.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “What about you?”

Reese reached for her water. “I’m in public relations. Actually, I stayed in town this summer because I was taking an internship, but it fell through. This morning.” She forced a smile. “It’s turning out to be a gem of a day.”

Ben frowned and snapped his towel toward her. “Hey, what about that charming bartender you met today? That part wasn’t so bad.”

Reese bit her lip, her cheeks warming. He was
flirting
with her. “I think he was trying to get me drunk,” she said, voice low. “But he is pretty charming.”

Ben propped himself on his elbows and leaned forward. “And handsome?”

“Don’t push your luck,” she said. Her cheeks were full-out burning now.

“You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

His gaze dropped to her lips and Reese stopped breathing. His Adam’s apple rose and fell as he swallowed. God, he was sexy, and man alive did she want him to kiss her.

She parted her lips, leaned forward a fraction of an inch. Movements so small someone across the bar probably wouldn’t have seen them, but they both knew it was an invitation.

Ben snapped upright and made work of straightening some bottles.

Reese inhaled deeply, looking for sanity in the deep breath. He’d seen her be embarrassed and he was trying to be nice. She wasn’t the type of girl to pick up a hunky bartender. Men like him—tall, charming, handsome, a body like oh-my-God—didn’t date women like her—short, frumpy, awkward, a body like oh-my-Jenny Craig.

She pulled a few bills from her purse and threw them on the bar. “I should be going,” she said with as much cheer as she could muster. She slid off the barstool.

“Don’t go.”

She stopped and turned to see him standing, thumbs in pockets, a sheepish grin on his face.

He gave a half-hearted shrug. “I’d feel better if you’d let me escort you home. You know, after pushing the hard stuff on you and all.”

She shook her head. “It’s okay. I walked.”

He stepped forward, pressing his palms against the bar. “Still.” He spotted her money and shook his head, holding it up for her. “What’s this?”

“For my drinks.”

“No way. Those were on me.” He left his post and tucked the bills into her purse. “My relief will be here any minute. Let me walk you home. What do you say?”

“You really don’t—”

The bell over the door rang as a tall, lanky man strolled in.

“Speak of the Devil,” Ben said. He shoved a hand in his pocket and came up with a set of keys that he tossed at the other man.

He snatched them out of the air. “Your house on fire, Hawk?”

“Reese, meet Luke. Luke, meet Reese.”

Luke raised a brow. “Nice to meet you, Reese.” He and Ben exchanged a look Reese couldn’t quite interpret.

“You too,” Reese said.

“I’m going to escort my friend here home,” Ben said, shocking Reese by sliding an arm around her shoulders. “She’s had a crappy day.”

Luke set his jaw. “Just be careful, Reese. Sometimes we do things when we’re feeling down that we wouldn’t have done if we’d given it some thought.”

Reese watched the looks the friends were exchanging. There was something going on here. Was this guy trying to warn her about Ben? Did she need to worry about walking down a busy street in the middle of the day with this guy she didn’t know?

“Have a nice shift,” Ben said, leading Reese toward the doors.

“Bye, Luke,” Reese called over her shoulder.

Once they were outside, Ben dropped his arm. “Where to?”

Reese shook her head. “You want to tell me what that was about?” she asked, gesturing toward the bar.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, but his eyes said he knew very well.

Reese propped her hands on her hips. “I’ve had a crappy day, Ben. I’m not interested in being a pawn in some game between you and your friend.”

Ben grimaced. “Shit,” he muttered. “Listen, I’m sorry if I made you feel like that. I really just want to make sure you get safely to wherever you’re going.”