Chapter 1 #2
“A wild phase?” With a nod, she took the bottle to her lips. “What does that look like?”
“I have three dates next week,” she said. His brows rose. “Yep. I’m going to be young and wild. Men of the world, look out!”
“Like a quick-fire audition process? Find your groom in three easy dates?”
“Groom?” Been there. Done that. Never again. “Are you kidding? We don’t need to be coupled up. We can be free and single and happy. It’s possible.” Or so she’d heard. “Why would sex be so much fun if we weren’t supposed to experience it?”
“You can have sex in a relationship. Ideally, you should. I’ve heard it’s recommended.”
“Yeah, but what are the chances of finding one person to satisfy your sexual needs for the rest of your life?” Or in her case two. “Monogamy is unrealistic. Men cheat. They look around. Why shouldn’t women do the same?”
“Hence why you want to have sex in the shrubs,” he said, offering the lollipop back.
Leaning in, she sucked it slowly, eyes stuck on his. With each second that passed, his concentration darkened. Maybe it was the night. The wine. The sugar rush. The air closed in, but she liked it, maybe too much.
Cheshire Cat fixated on her cream, a smile tugged her lips. He let go of the stick to swipe the wine, gulping down more than a healthy measure.
She laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re not my type.”
Although the bottle left his lips, he breathed for a few seconds before asking, “No? What’s your type?”
“I like sleazeballs with short attention spans.” Apparently. Who knew? That’s what Mason turned out to be at any rate. “I should’ve led with that.” Her head tilted to the side. “You coupled up?”
“Married?”
She shrugged. “Or a girlfriend? Would up your sleaze factor.”
“And put me back in the running?”
“Possibly.”
“You like being the other woman?”
“No!” she exclaimed, circling the candy again. “He was married, yeah, but they were divorcing. I didn’t wreck his home. Anyway, it’s one thing I refuse to be, the other woman… never again, but it would make you more of a sleaze to be flirting with me if you have a woman at home.”
She’d never see this guy again, he wasn’t in the running for any trophy or shot at her panties. This was more about poking fun at herself and the subconscious ways of her libido. She didn’t look for sleazeballs. Somehow they found her and piqued her self-destructive sexual interest.
“Sorry. No girlfriend. Not a sleaze.”
“Good,” she said, hopping up to sit on the wall.
“And am I flirting with you?”
“Talking about sex within ten seconds of meeting me counts as flirting.”
“You brought it up.”
“Did I now?” she asked, licking her lips as her gaze deliberately dropped. “Clever me.”
“Okay.” His laugh was more of an exhale. “You are a live wire.”
“Thank you. Now we have to figure out if you’re a liar.”
“About being a sleaze?” This guy was far too hot to be ignorant to how easy it would be to get laid. Maybe that’s why he was single, options remained open. “Man, Candy, you’re a cynic. You seem so… First impression you’re open, then boom, you slam that wall down.”
“Just getting to know you,” she teased, earning a smile. “Sex is something we have in common. It’s a leveler.”
“How do you figure?”
“Everyone’s at it, right? A guy like you has to get offers all the time.”
“You’re right about that.”
“See,” she said, licking the lollipop. “Leveler.”
“Except there’s one problem.”
She moved the bulb in her mouth with her tongue. “What’s that?”
“I’m celibate.”
She froze. The word, yes, she understood, but… no fucking way. Her laugh started slow and took time to build mass. It really needed to ramp up to full hilarity.
Judging by his smirk, it was a reaction he expected.
“Sorry,” she said, catching her breath. “I’m sorry…
wow.” Wiping moisture from the corners of her eyes, she tried not to smudge her makeup.
“No one’s ever tried the virgin line with me before.
Good one. Really. You get an award for originality, I may screw you just for that. Want me to pop your cherry, baby?”
“I said celibate, not a virgin.”
Okay, the moment had arrived. This was it. This was when he’d admit the lie, joke, whatever he intended to dub it. Except… Why did he look so devout?
“Oh, wow…” Gravity seeped in. “You’re serious?” He nodded. Bouncing off the wall, she pulled the lollipop from her mouth and rested her other hand on his bicep. His rather impressive bicep. “Was there a trauma?”
He snickered. “No, nothing like that.”
“Then why?”
“You’ve always done the relationship thing, now you have oats to sew,” he said and shrugged. “I got tired of sewing oats. Everything was temporary, shallow, I got sick of it.”
“So you gave up sex?”
“It’s a distraction.”
“Yeah, but a fun one if you do it right.” She squeezed his arm. “Were you doing it right?”
He leaned in. “Too right. You can only score an eleven so many times before it becomes passé.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“You don’t have to. Your oat sewing will show you I’m right.”
Her chin angled up. “You talk about sex a lot for being celibate.”
“Right,” he said on another laugh. “Wasn’t that you led me there.”
“No! Sheesh, you’re not much of a gentleman, are you? Are you sure your celibacy is voluntary? Or did womenkind come to their senses?”
“You’re odd, Candy, anyone ever tell you that?”
She sighed. “All the time. Stop changing the subject. We have a lot to unpack. Until now, I’ve never met a unicorn.”
“A unicorn?”
“One, apparently, I can’t ride. I’m actually in shock right now. Is this real? For real?”
“All the way, Candy. All the way.”
“Or none of the way. None. Like none? Wow, a real life unicorn.”