The Lucky in Love Collection - Lauren Blakely Page 0,25

it be if I asked you to do that?” She laughs, amused, it seems, at the sheer incredulity of someone ever suggesting that. More like sheer fucking awesomeness.

“Ha. So weird. I mean, right? Who does that?” I echo, like I can’t believe anyone would ever do that.

“Exactly.” Her face seems to light up with relief. “You hear about that happening. A friend asks her friend to help her learn the ropes, but it never works out if you actually go through with it. How could it? How could you practice with somebody and not develop feelings for them?”

I part my lips to speak but clamp them shut. Because I already have feelings for her. They’re developed. Past tense. So I answer by way of a shrug.

“Plus, what would happen to our friendship? And, of course, you want to be free to date,” she says, as if she’s offering me my greatest dreams on a platter—more dating with women who aren’t her.

I’d like to issue a correction: I want to be free to date you. Except Arden’s not even thinking along those lines, so I’m going to need to regroup and devise a different strategy to get her to see me that way. But one fact needs to be stated loud and clear. “I don’t need to date right now.”

She takes a step back, surprise in her features. “You don’t?”

I shake my head. “I’m not interested in dating. Also, I can manage a week without it, thank you very much.”

“You sure?”

“Well, it’ll be hard. But I can manage.”

“But I still think it would be unfair of me to limit you. Besides, we’re basically going to walk through some naughty scenarios, like a few tutorials. You can guide me, and then I’ll have the knowledge I need to make better choices.”

She sounds like she’s talking about teen pregnancy. Better choices. Knowledge. “You make it sound like a PSA. ‘The more you know . . .’”

She laughs. “That’s because I’m totally inexperienced in this area. As an example, I’ve never made love outside.”

My jaw drops. “You’ve never ordered the sex alfresco?”

She raises a hand like she’s taking an oath. “Never have I ever.”

I affect a big frown. “You’re making me so sad right now.”

“You’ll take pity on me and help me test some new things?” She bats her eyes.

I drape an arm around her and tug her close, sliding into my best playful and friendly voice. “I will definitely take pity on you, my friend. But you do know you can’t practice having sex outside with clothes on, right?”

Laughing, she rises on tiptoe and plants a chaste kiss on my cheek, which I like far too much. “I know that. But we can test other things. And by simply testing, rather than actually practicing, we won’t ruin our friendship.”

Yep. This is going to be a tougher road than I thought. I need to buy some time to figure out how the hell to manage this new twist. “Let’s start with talking instead of spanking. How does that sound?”

“I guess spanking wasn’t the best way to start?” She fiddles with her watch, which makes me think she’s nervous about the whole thing. And I’m not interested in making her nervous. I don’t want her to feel awkward. The fact is, it takes some serious ovaries to ask for help in the boudoir. Now that I know what kind of lesson she’s after, I don’t think that launching right in is the best technique, after all.

“Spanking is a world-class favorite activity, and I guarantee you’re going to love it. But let’s start by getting out of here so we can discuss your ideas.”

There. That’ll help me to course correct.

She points to her purse. “Like the list I made?”

“I would very much like to see it.”

“Good. There’s a lot on it, and it’ll help if I bounce ideas off a man. I’ve discussed plenty of these things with Perri and Vanessa, but I want to get a guy’s opinion.”

“I’m your guy.”

She steps closer, squeezes my shoulder, and whispers sweetly, “Yes, you are.”

I’m her guy.

The guy she turned to.

I might not be the guy she wants for more.

Yet.

But the fact that she came to me for help tells me something important—she trusts me. That’s a start. A very important start, and one I can build on.

But first, I’m dying to know what the hell is on this naughty list.

16

Gabe

Lucky Falls is true to its name.

At least the falls part. The town is edged by a cluster of