The Best Mistake - Cookie O'Gorman Page 0,3

I really ready for this?

“You remember everything we practiced?”

Another nod, but Charlie seemed to pick up on my mood. Shaking Vayne off, she stood in front of me, looking straight into my eyes, hands on hips.

“Tell me the three S’s.”

“Charlie—”

“Come on, Honor, I gave you all my best tips,” she said. “Now let’s go: What are you?”

“Sexy, smoldering, seductive,” I muttered.

“Damn right.” Charlie nodded. “And what’s our mantra?”

I repeated the words she’d said to me tonight as we were getting ready. “All good girls need to experience a bad boy once in their lives.”

“And do you want that experience?”

“Yes,” I said with more conviction.

“Do you want it with a guy who we have on good authority is a great lover? One who never gets attached? One who is sure to leave you more than satisfied?”

“Hell yes,” I breathed.

She gestured to the two brothers standing by the staircase. “Then get your butt over there and introduce yourself to Baylor.”

The thought had me shaking in my high heels. So, it wasn’t the scarred one or the bookworm. Don’t let it be the one with the sexy frown. Don’t let it be him. Not him, not him, not him. I crossed my fingers before asking the question I feared but knew had to be asked.

“Which one is he?” I said.

Charlie gave me a vaguely pitying look. “The hot one, honey.”

I shook my head. “They’re all hot.”

“True, true,” she said then glanced back over to the brothers. “He’s the one with the vodka. Now go have some fun, Honor. That’s what this is, wild, sexy, impulsive.” She lowered her voice. “And make sure he gives you at least one absolutely mind-blowing orgasm.”

“That’s just wrong.” I shook my head.

“You’re right,” Charlie added. “With his rep, he should at least give you two.”

I laughed despite myself, glancing back over my shoulder just in time to see some girl yell, “Baylor!” before suctioning her lips to the O’Brien who’d been frowning at me from across the room. My blood stilled as I noticed the half-empty vodka bottle in his hand.

Oh goodness.

Pushing the girl away, he said one last thing to his grinning brother, who just shook his head, then began to make his way up the stairs.

On the third step, he glanced back, his gaze unerringly finding mine. The heat, the pull, it was all still there. But now, he was the first to look away, continuing his trek up the stairs and to what I assumed was his dorm room.

Last door on the left, according to Charlie.

I didn’t even want to know how she knew that—though she had assured me, in no uncertain terms, that she’d never done anything with Baylor. Too easy, not enough challenge, she’d said. Great news for me because I wasn’t looking for a challenge. I was looking for a sure thing—and he was getting away.

Now or never, Honor.

Tugging down my dress a final time, I made my way to the stairs, carefully so I wouldn’t trip in the dang heels. It was slow going, but that gave me enough time to work up some courage.

So, this was Baylor. The guy whose scowl had made my blood hot from across the room. That was a good thing, right? I didn’t know much, but I knew sex was theoretically better if you were attracted to your partner. This was just one night with a super hot guy. A steamy, meaningless fling that would induct me into what Charlie called The Wonderful World of Sex. I couldn’t have a better, more experienced teacher than Baylor O’Brien.

One night with the playboy.

What could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, why me?

This night needed to end, ASAP, before I killed one of my brothers. I’d nearly punched Baylor. Fists-clenched, nostrils-flaring, I’d almost hauled off and punched the idiot. I mean, yeah, it wasn’t the first time I’d wanted to smack him. I’d wanted to do that nearly every day since he turned into a little brat at the age of 13, who loved talking back and looking up girls’ skirts. But now that Baylor was an “adult,” his particular brand of stupid had evolved. The girls were still there; that hadn’t changed. But now he’d added alcohol to the mix—lots of it—too much, and that loosened his tongue, obliterating his already non-existent filter, making him say a whole lot of stupid. Despite all that, tonight was the first time I’d ever come close to losing it.

Had to be the girl, I thought.

There was no other explanation.

Walking to the end of