One Great Night Read online

  Hell, he was going to have to sleep with her to save her from herself. Or at least make her believe he was going to. Until he could get her to forget the whole insane plan.

  He rose, in the process brushing a kiss across her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I just need to pick up something.” He took the stairs two at a time. Outside, he started his truck, but sat staring out the windshield while it idled. Would Chloe believe him if he told her he’d changed his mind? How far would he need to go to convince her?

  An image of her long, tanned legs wrapped around him popped into his head. He forced it out of his mind as he slammed the truck into gear and pulled away from the curb with a squeal of tires and headed toward the Quikmart.

  ****

  Chloe huddled on the couch and drew the edges of Jason’s shirt together. She inhaled the spicy scent of aftershave clinging to the soft fabric. The familiar smell was comforting.

  Why couldn’t he have said yes? She was comfortable with him. He would be the perfect one to make her fantasies come true. And she trusted him. Which was important.

  Because what if it was her?

  What if it had nothing to do with the guys she’d been with and everything to do with her? Jason could teach her. Show her what she was doing wrong.

  Another of her goals was to be married by the time she was thirty. But if she didn’t know what she was doing in bed, who would ever want to marry her? So she’d come up with the idea of a tutor. And then she’d thought of Jason.

  Jason, who’d been a part of her life for as long as she could remember.

  Jason, who was sweet and kind and caring.

  Jason, who she’d heard was better than fabulous in bed.

  She sighed. Jason, who probably wasn’t really coming back, and who was right about the whole thing. It was a stupid idea.

  Footsteps sounded on the back steps, and then the door creaked open. Jason tossed a box of condoms on the coffee table.

  “Okay. I’m in.”

  Chapter Two

  Chloe stared up at him. Her gaze darted to the box on the table, then back to meet his. She swallowed. Not only had he come back, but he’d come back prepared. Was she ready for this? She’d dived in, but was she in over her head? She’d wanted Jason to say yes. Desperately. But now that he had, she didn’t know what to do next.

  Which was exactly why she needed a tutor in the first place. She could walk the walk and talk the talk, but it was all an act. Most women, by the time they reached twenty-seven knew their way around the bedroom. Had experienced real passion.

  Chloe hadn’t. She wasn’t a virgin, but her experiences were nothing to gossip about with her girlfriends over raw chocolate chip cookie dough and wine. Not even close.

  Don’t be a wuss. She gathered her courage. “So, um, do you want to go into the bedroom?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “No. We’re going to start right here.”

  She gulped. “On the couch?” Maybe they could turn out the lights. Then maybe she wouldn’t be thinking about it so much. About having sex. With Jason. She surreptitiously wiped her sweaty palms on a throw pillow.

  His lips quirked. “Nope. On the table.” He nodded toward the piece of furniture in question.

  “The table? Won’t that be, uh, uncomfortable?”

  He shook his head and sat in the chair. “Relax. We’re just going to talk for now.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “So, lesson number one. Protection.”

  “What?”

  He nudged the box of condoms with his boot. “You need to be safe.”

  She frowned. She wasn’t interested in Sex Ed 101. She needed something a little more advanced. “Jason, I told you. I’m not a virgin. I’m on the pill. I don’t need―”

  He cut her off. “If you really want me to do this, we’re doing this my way.”

  She huffed out an overly dramatic sigh and leaned back against the cushions, resigned to waiting through his speech so they could get to the good part. She waved her hand in a circle. “Continue.”

  “The pill is a good start, but it won’t protect you from everything. Don’t assume the guy is always going to be responsible. If you’re planning on having sex”—he winced—“make sure you have something with you.”

  Bored with the lecture—she already knew this part—she cocked her head to the side. “Are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “Responsible.”

  “Yes, ma’am, always.” His eyes narrowed. “But not every guy is. So don’t take any chances.”

  “Jason, seriously. I know this part.”

  “Then consider this a review.”

  “Okay. Fine. What next?”

  He rose. “Next, I pick you up for dinner on Friday after work.”

  “Wait. What do you mean? I thought you were going to teach me—”

  He didn’t let her finish. “I am. But if I’m the tutor”—he framed the word in air quotes—“then I’m in charge of the syllabus.”

  “O-kay.” The word sounded more like a question. Was he trying to back out? “Where are we going? What should I wear?”

  His gaze flicked over her. He cleared his throat. “Think of this as a first date. Wear what you would if you were going out with a real guy.”

  She took in the broad shoulders beneath a button down striped shirt that hung untucked from the jeans hugging his slim hips. The soft denim outlined the masculine bulge between his thighs. Which confirmed he was every bit a real guy.

  She quickly glanced away. Despite all of her research, it was…odd…to think about Jason that way. Not that she’d never noticed how good-looking he was before. She wasn’t blind. But she’d never realized how…sexy…he was. It practically shouted at her now.

  She swallowed and managed a grin. “Um, I hate to break it to you, but you are a real guy.”

  He shook his head. “You know what I mean. Pretend this is a real date.”

  “Real dates tell me where we’re going.”

  “Well, I’m assuming you’re not going to fill Danny in on this little plan.”

  “Nope.” She was pretty sure her brother wouldn’t do anything to Jason if he found out, but better safe than sorry.

  “So Easy Street is out. It’ll have to be someplace outside of town. Nothing too fancy.” He glanced at her legs, then away. “Jeans will be fine.”

  ****

  Friday night Chloe swallowed the flutter of nerves that erupted when Jason knocked. Going to dinner with him wasn’t the part to be nervous about. It was what would happen afterwards that caused the butterflies in her tummy. She was finally going to get her one great night.

  She smoothed her hands down her jeans, then tugged at her shirt to make sure it lay straight: the hem rested right at the low riding waistband of her jeans. With the tips of her fingers, she fluffed her hair at the roots, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

  Jason’s gaze swept over her and he smiled. “Hi. You look nice.”

  “Thanks.” She refrained from fidgeting with the shirt again. “Do, you, uh, want to come in?” Since when had it been so awkward to talk to him? She’d known him her whole life.

  Since you asked him to sleep with you.

  She ignored the voice in her head and the new worry having sex with Jason would change things between them. Why hadn’t she thought about that before?

  He glanced at his watch. “Why don’t we just head out? I made reservations for seven.”

  “Okay.” Reservations? He’d said they weren’t going anyplace fancy. “I need to grab my purse.” She assumed they’d come back here, but taking his advice to heart, she’d tucked a couple of condoms into one of the zippered inside pockets.

  At the nice, not too fancy, not too far from town, Mexican restaurant, after giving their orders, Jason said, “Okay, so tell me more about this bucket list.”

  Chloe took a sip of her margarita, and then waved a dismissive hand
. “There’s really not much to tell. I just decided there were some things I wanted to do before I was thirty.”

  “So what else is on your list?”

  “Things like getting a tattoo, driving a convertible, visiting the gardens at Giverny in France. And, of course, the big ticket item.”

  “Just how did you come up with the items on your list? Especially the last one.”

  She looked away. “I don’t know. They just came to me.”

  “You have to do better than that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Because what you’re asking me to do is no small thing, and I want to know the reason behind it.”

  “Oh.” She twirled the straw and avoided his gaze.

  “And no bullshit about romance novels.”

  “Fine.” She toyed with the slim stem of the glass. “I was out with some friends…girls’ night out…and one of them was talking about this great weekend she’d just had with her boyfriend. She couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it had been. She was literally still glowing. And it dawned on me I’ve never had that. I’ve never even come close.”

  “You haven’t been with the right guy yet.”

  “My point exactly.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Most of the guys I’ve dated have been nice. We had a good time. We had fun. But I want more than fun. I want Oh. My. God.”

  Jason shook his head, a rueful expression on his face. “That’s a tall order.”

  She ran a fingernail over the back of his hand. “I’m sure you’re up to the task.”

  His fingers twitched. He frowned. “Be that as it may, what about the relationship part?”

  “Relationship part?”

  “Don’t you want to fall in love? To get married and have a family?”

  “Sure, that’s on my list, too, but that’s not what this is about. I don’t want the emotional part of things. I just want amazing, passionate sex.”

  “That you can tell your girlfriends about?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “So this is all about them?”

  “No. Not really. It’s for me. I feel like I’ve been missing out. I figured since I was almost thirty, now was the time to catch up. It’s now or never.”

  “What makes you think if you don’t do this now it will be never? Don’t you think your future husband will be up to the task?”

  “Maybe he will. But I don’t want to take that chance. Maybe he won’t. Just because you’re in love with someone doesn’t mean the sex is going to be fantastic.”

  He chewed and swallowed a tortilla chip laden with salsa. “That’s a cynical way of looking at things.”

  “Is it?”

  “Who says you can’t be in love and have great sex?”

  She ran her finger around the rim of her glass, then sucked the salt from it. “Have you ever been in love?”

  His gaze lingered on her mouth for a moment before he blinked. “I guess so.” He took a sip of beer. “But, since those relationships didn’t last, maybe I wasn’t.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I think it’s possible to be in love more than once in your life. Your first love is way different than the love you’ll have for, say, your wife.” She cocked her head. “Do you want to get married?”

  “Sure. Someday.”

  “But you’re in no hurry?”

  “Not really.”

  “Any specific reason?”

  “I’m not hiding some secret heartbreak, if that’s what you mean. I’m just content to take life as it comes. I don’t have a schedule I’m following,” he said, pointedly.

  She ignored the barely veiled dig. The arrival of their food saved her from needing to defend herself. This wasn’t some whim she’d come up with. She’d given it a lot of thought.

  If he was so against the idea, why had he agreed to help?

  The overly flirtatious waitress finally left. What, was Chloe invisible? If this were a ‘real’ date, she’d be pissed. She dribbled hot sauce on her tacos. “Looks like she would be up for the position of Mrs. Williams.”

  “What?”

  “The waitress. Looks like she wants you to be the salsa on her chips.”

  He paused in the act of dipping his enchilada in guacamole. “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, please. She was practically drooling.” Chloe swirled her fork in the Spanish rice. “Never mind.” She looked up. “Why are we here, Jason?”

  He swallowed the bite he’d just taken. “Having dinner? Think of it as your second lesson.”

  “Lesson?”

  “You know...on the syllabus.”

  “Right.” She glanced around the crowded restaurant. “But I’m telling you, if this lesson involves a carrot in any way shape or form, I’m out of here.”

  His brows drew together. “What?”

  “Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Phoebe Cates is teaching her friend how to”—she leaned closer—“please a guy.”

  Jason threw back his head and laughed. “I promise, no carrots.”

  “Good. But what I actually meant was why are we here and bothering with a ‘lesson’ at all when you think what I want is stupid?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Well, it’s obvious you don’t agree with what I want. Why did you say you’d help me?”

  He considered her for a moment, then sighed. “Because I was afraid you’d really ask someone else if I didn’t say yes.” He pointed his fork at her plate. “Now eat. Your tacos are getting cold.”

  The rest of dinner passed with idle chitchat. For whatever reason Chloe was reluctant to ask him about his somewhat cryptic comment. Not one to usually hold her tongue, she was oddly unsure about hearing what he’d really meant. But she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

  Later, she unlocked the door to her apartment and walked into the kitchen. She flicked on the overhead light and then tossed her purse and the leftover container on the table. It took a moment to realize Jason hadn’t followed. She glanced over her shoulder. He leaned negligently against the doorframe.

  Looking more delicious than the promise of a second helping of tacos.

  “Aren’t you coming in?”

  He shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. “No.”

  Disappointment replaced the anticipation. “But you said you would—”

  “I know what I said. Come here.” He held out his hand, but didn’t cross the threshold.

  What was he up to? She retraced her steps. When she got near, he threaded his fingers through hers and tugged her to him. His arms wound around her waist.

  A tiny hit of adrenalin zoomed through her and expectation blossomed to life again. His gaze searched hers. A flicker of hesitation and uncertainty played in the blue irises. Along with something else she couldn’t decipher. Almost like resignation, but…more.

  “Oh Chloe.” The way he said her name sent a pleasurable shiver through her. “What am I going to do with you?”

  Before she could process the odd question, he knew damn well what he was supposed to do with her, his mouth settled over hers, and she forgot he’d even asked it. The smooth, tender stroke of his lips against hers drove all thought from her head.

  He sucked on her bottom lip, bestowed a nibbling bite to the top one, and then tipped his head at the same time he aligned his mouth perfectly with hers and parted her lips. His palms spread wide on her back, drawing her closer, until her chest nestled against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and answered the sweet pressure of his mouth.

  A thrumming started in her veins, growing more incessant as the kiss continued. Built. Deepened.

  His tongue touched the soft inside of her bottom lip, and she gasped. He took the opportunity to delve further, curving his tongue around hers in a slow, sensual dance. A spark of desire ignited and spread, licking through her veins like wildfire consuming dry brush. She half moaned, half sighed into the wonderf
ul heat of his mouth. Anticipating more pleasure to come.

  And then he took a step back.

  The sudden loss disoriented her. She swayed. He grabbed her upper arms.

  “Easy,” he murmured.

  Her eyes blinked open. His were the deep blue, almost black, of a midnight thunderstorm. When he smiled, a soft light played in them. She could lose herself in those depths.

  He kissed her cheek. “Good-night, Chloe.”

  What? He couldn’t leave. They hadn’t…

  “I’ll call you tomorrow. Don’t forget to lock the door.”

  Before she could form even the semblance of a thought, let alone a protest, he turned and disappeared down the stairs.

  ****

  Jason leaned his head against the back of the seat and squeezed his eyes shut. In his mind he heard the soft mewl in the back of Chloe’s throat. Tasted the sweet intoxication of her lips.

  He shouldn’t have kissed her. Not like that. Not even to make her believe he was actually going along with her insane plan. He didn’t want to take advantage, but he’d needed to do something to make her think he was playing along. To make sure she didn’t go looking for someone else to fulfill her ‘one great night’ fantasy. He had to protect her from her own foolishness.

  But how long would it take her to come to her senses and realize what she was asking was ridiculous? Impossible.

  Because his body was going to pay, and supremely, for the performance he’d just given. Not to mention if Danny ever found out, he’d castrate him. Which would at least solve one of his problems. He winced and gave a grim chuckle at his own dark humor.

  Chapter Three

  A knock at the kitchen door interrupted the quiet of the apartment. Chloe frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Bad enough she couldn’t concentrate with visions of Jason parading through her mind. Like she needed another distraction.

  Should she ignore it? Maybe the person would think she wasn’t home and go away.