Chapter 20
752 Words
“Damn,” Dean said. “That’ll be Dallas, I bet. I need to pick him up from the hospital.”
Emma nodded and slid off him. He bit back a groan of frustration and disappointment.
Dean grabbed the phone off the bedside table. “You OK, man? Ready to come home?"
“f**k, yeah,” Dallas said. “Get me out of here. I need a real coffee.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Dean said.
“Make it ten,” Dallas said. “I need a real coffee.”
By the time Dean had negotiated an ETA of fifteen minutes and disconnected, Emma was fully dressed and in the bathroom pulling her hair back. He leaned in the doorway hopefully.
“So – you have this whole week off work?” he said.
“Yep.”
“So you want to come by later? Spend the night again?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t. I have plans tonight.”
“Damn.” He looked at her breasts in that dress, longing to run his hands over them again. “Tomorrow?”
She paused, thinking. “Yeah, OK. Tomorrow night.”
“Come over around seven?” he said.
“Seven it is.” She brushed his lips as she passed him, heading for the front door.
“Hey, Emma?”
She turned, and he just drank in her beautiful eyes and generous curves for a few seconds. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” Emma almost shivered as she remembered the weight of his body on top of hers the night before. He was so big, so gorgeous, and just what she needed to get through her life right now: he was the perfect escape. “See you.”
****
“OK, wait. Let me get this straight.” Dallas shook his head. “She actually agreed to just s*x? Just s*x? No relationship crap – none at all?”
Dean shrugged. “None.”
“s**t, man. How do I get a woman like Emma to go along with that?”
Dean drank his beer. “Dunno. I guess you need some charm.”
“Well, he’s sunk then,” Chris said. “Charm is not Dallas’ strong suit.”
Dallas scowled. “I got charm, boy. Loads of it. I just never thought of using it this way.”
“OK, I actually don’t get this. Like, at all.” Jim leaned forward. “She suggested keeping it casual? She wants to stay here only? She said you can see other women while she’s away for work, no problem? I mean – I can’t think of a single woman who’d go along with any of this. What’s her deal? Really?”
“Her job,” Dean said. “It seems to be the centre of her life and it sounds like it’s twenty-four/seven. I guess she’s just looking for some time off once in a while. You know, a stress-release.”
“I can be a stress-release!” Dallas protested. “Why didn’t you send her to me?”
“OK, hold on.” Dean looked at his friends. “Let’s get this straight right now: no making her feel bad if you run into her while she’s here. Emma isn’t some cheap little w***e. You got me? She’s a nice girl, she’s just not in the place for a relationship. How does that make her any different from any of us?”
“Come on, Dean,” Chris said. “We’d never embarrass her or say anything disrespectful. I thought you knew us better than that.”
“Yeah,” Jim said. “s**t, man. We’re just jealous. You get it all, right? A sweet woman in your bed, and the freedom to still go to Shooter’s and pick up? Come on. We’d kill for that kind of deal.”
“I know I would.” Dallas took a gulp of beer, inconsolable. “You lucky bastard.”
“Yeah.” Dean grinned. It was actually kind of unreal, what he and Emma had agreed to. The thought that this hot woman would be reappearing the next night, for the sole purpose of getting into his bed, was breathtaking. And she’d just go the next day, back to her life, whatever it was, and he’d get on with his, until the next time they got together. It was easy; it was relaxed. It was perfect. She was the perfect diversion.
- Writer
