Tease Me

Chapter 18

The minutes ticked along with me in a daze, and by the time Needledick arrived, I could barely think.As I did the handover with him, I tried not to focus on the fact that I wasn’t wearing underpants. It was more than a little distressing.

As I made my way to my room, my mind was likethegiant pirate shipthat swung back and forwardat the showground, smashing through one emotion after another.

Somehow, I made it to my room, and before my brain shattered like a smashed mirror, I dialed Lolita.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?”

I blurted it out, everything from the intense unspoken sexual tension to the mind-blowing orgasm with the fireman.

“Jesus Christ, Jane!”

I knew it. I’d crossed that imaginary boundary that put me in the fucking stupid category. A tidal wave of heat roseup, and I started to hyperventilate. Tears stung my eyes, and I was about to vomit.

“I’m so jealous.”

My brain snapped back to reality. “What?”

“That’s another thing you’ve done that I haven’t.”

“What?” I gasped.

“What, what?”

I scrunched up my face as I tried to understand what she was saying.

“Oh God,” she huffed. “Don’t tell me you’re second-guessing what happened?”

“Ummm . . .”

“Jesus. So, let me guess what’s going through your brain. You had a mind-blowing orgasm with a fireman in a fucking elevator, for God’s sake, and you think that’s bad.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Are you kidding me? You just did the top three things most women only dream of, all in one go. Afireman. Holy shit. In the elevator. Mind-blowing orgasm in twenty seconds flat. And he tore your undies off. Jesus, I’m going to come in my pants just thinking about it.”

“Lolly,” I said, half-laughing, half-shocked by her honesty.

“Shit, Jane, I’ve gotta go find Cal and fuck his brains out. Bye.”

The phone clicked, and I stared at the screen, hardly able to believe my best friend had just hung up on me.

I dragged my ass to the bathroom and showered. Afterward, I cooked a bacon and egg sandwich and drizzled barbeque sauceall over it. Holding that on a plate in one hand and a green tea in my other, I walked out to my balcony to see what was happening in the real world.

A couple of bites into my delicious breakfast, I spied a pod of dolphins diving through the waves near the shore. Every once in a while, oneof themjumped from the water in a graceful display of agility and strength. That glorious sight reminded me of just how lucky I was.

The phone rang, and I dashed inside to grab it off my nightstand.

I swiped to answer. “Hey, Lolly.”

“Okay, I’m back,” she said the second I answered. “Cal says thanks.”

“Ummm, what for?”

“For making me horny, of course.”

I groaned. “Great,” I said sarcastically.

“Anyway, let me give my little speech before you go off on someharebrainedidea to give up your challenge. What happened today is at the top of every woman’s bucket list. You got damn lucky, girlfriend. Half the women in the world would be cheering for you.”

“And the other half?”

“Well, they’ll be bitchy with jealousy, of course.”

I laughed. Lolly had aninterestingoutlook on life.

“So,I’ve said this before, and I’llsay it again.You’re a single woman having a bit of fun. That’s it.”

“Yes, but what I did was risky.”

“So? What’s the worst that could’ve happened?”

“Headline news telling the whole world about my slutty indiscretion?”

“Wow, you’ve actually thought about this.”

“Of course.”

“Good. So you know that’s not going to happen. It would probably only be third-page news in the Pics People magazine.”

I gasped, and she burst out laughing.

“I’m fucking with you, babe. Now stop this foolishness and be proud of what you’ve done. Okay?” She went silent. Lolita never did silent, and I let her stew as I mulled over my answer. It must have been torture for her, and I imagined her chewing on her knuckle to stop herself from speaking.

“Okay,” I finally said.

“Okay, what?” she replied.

“Okay, I’ll be proud of what I did.”

“That’s better. Cal and I are happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Anyway, I’ve gotta go.Timeto get my nails done. Loveya.”

“Love you, too.”

I put the phone on the bedside table and flopped back onto the pillow.

Was she right?

Did half the women in the world have ‘sex with a fireman in an elevator’ at the top of their bucket list? I never did.Actually,I didn’t have a bucket list, but even if I did, I would never have thought to put that on it.

I reached for my diary and turned to the 18th of August.

First, I wrote about my failure in room fourteen and how much that rejection had affected me. What hadactuallyhurt the most was how poorly I’d readhissigns. The sexy winemaker had been making signals at me all night. At least, I’d thought they were signals.

But I’d read him so wrong. Even after more than thirty sexual experiences, I still didn’t understand men.

I shook my head at that thought and turned my focus to the fireman and my mind-blowing orgasm. For the second time in one day, I’d been grateful for that silly slow elevator, although it didn’t need to be that slow because that orgasm had hit me like a rocket. I’ve seen men get erections in ten seconds flat, but I had no idea my libido could be aroused at lightning speed, too.

What had made it so exciting? Was it the fireman? Well. . . he was smoking hot. Especially when he looked at me in an ‘I’m going to devour you’kind ofway.

Was it the confinement of the elevator? Maybe.

Was it the chance of getting caught?

Oh God, please don’t let it be that.

As I detailed how explosive that ride had been, I wrote, Top of the Bucket List, beneath my sexy fireman in theheader of the page.

August sure was turning out to be an exciting month.Actually,every month this year has been exciting. And risky. I’d nearlybeen caughta few times now.

Was I dancing with fire? Probably.

Could I keep this challenge going?

If it made me feel like I did right now, then hell, yes, I could.

I closed my diary and stepped back out onto the balcony.

Seconds later, a dolphin launched from a distant wave.

Smiling, I clutched the railing, and for the hundredth time this year, I appreciated just how good life had become.

Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that my wonderful life was about to come crashing down.