Page 9 of Driving Whiskey Wild
Her hand dove down the front of his shirt, grazing his nipple. Christ. She wrecked him.
“Male models don’t even have chest hair anymore.” Her fingers moved along his pecs. “I bet they shave everywhere.” She leaned up again as he crossed the threshold to her bedroom and whispered, “I bet you don’t shave anywhere.”
He tried to quell his mounting desire, but it came out in the form of a groan. Her bedroom looked just as soft and innocent as she did. Floral-patterned pillows rested against a tufted white headboard, and cutesy knickknacks in light colors filled the room.
She peeked down his shirt again. “I see ink. What is it? Show me?”
He set her on the edge of the bed, and she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled him so close he could taste her sweet breath.
“Finlay,” he warned.
“Brutus,” she said with a giggle, and pushed his shirt up.
The feel of her warm hands on his stomach sent heat streaming through his veins. He grabbed her wrists and shook his head.
“The guy in that movie had tattoos, too. You could be him, you know. You’re big and burly, and I bet you’re good at being naked like he was.” She covered her mouth and whispered, “Oops! Did I say naked?”
He cocked a brow.
“I meant…naked.”
Fuck. Hearing her alluring voice say that word made him hard as stone. “Finlay, stop. You’re drunk, and I don’t want you to regret anything tomorrow.”
She glared at him. “For your information, I’m not drunk.”
“Are you sober?” he asked.
She leaned forward, and the neckline of her dress shifted, giving him an eyeful of her gorgeous breasts straining against pink lace. She pressed her lips together. “No, but I’m not drunk. I’m tipsy.”
“Right, we’ll see if you remember any of this tomorrow.”
She pushed to her feet, using his hip to steady herself, and said, “You think I don’t know what I’m saying? Well, guess what, Brutus?” She accentuated her words, which flew from her mouth at breakneck speed, by poking him in the sternum. “I know exactly what I’m saying. I wanted to drink too much tonight so I could stop thinking about you and your dirty talk. I want to see you without your shirt on. I want to see your tattoos because I want to know why you have them, and what they mean, and how you got them with chest hair? Did they shave it? I do think you look like that actor Jason Mammoth, or whatever his stinking name is. And I know I want to see you nake—”
A slow smile crept across his lips.
Finlay slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “I think you’d better go,” she said from behind her hand as she lowered herself to the bed.
“Sure you’re okay?”
She nodded.
“For the record—”
She closed her eyes and held up her hand, silencing him.
“I want to see you naked too,” he said honestly.
Her eyes popped open, her cheeks flamed red, and her jaw gaped again. He used his index finger to lift her chin so her mouth closed.
Thrusting a thumb over his shoulder, he said, “I’m going. Lock up after I leave.”
Chuckling, he headed out to his car. For the first time in years, he couldn’t wait to go to work the next day.
Chapter Four
“I’M GOING TO slaughter you,” Finlay said to Penny over the phone the next afternoon as she stood by the kitchen counter, cracking eggs into a bowl.
“Why? You needed to cut loose, and it’s not like you got into any trouble.”
“Oh no?” She began beating the eggs. “What would you call telling Bullet Whiskey that I wanted to see him naked? You know I can’t hold my liquor. You’re my sister. You should stop me from doing bad things.”
“Then you’ve got the wrong sister, because I was thrilled that you finally had some fun, Fin. You haven’t gone out and had any fun since you lost Aaron.”
Finlay added more ingredients to the bowl and beat them as hard and fast as she could. She did not want to think about Aaron, or how long it had been since she’d been interested in a man. She’d finally gotten some perspective on Aaron’s death. And talking about the fact that she hadn’t dated much since she’d lost him wouldn’t change it. She only wanted to figure out how to walk into Whiskey Bro’s today and look Bullet in the eye without feeling like she was standing there buck naked now that she’d revealed her innermost thoughts.
“You’re baking,” Penny said.
“Of course I’m baking! Didn’t you hear me? I told Bullet I wanted to see him naked. And I knew I was saying it when it came out. It wasn’t like I was too drunk to think straight. I was just drunk enough to think straight and tell the truth.” She had always turned to cooking when she was emotional. When she’d lost Aaron she’d come up with five new recipes in one weekend, and when they’d lost their father she’d baked enough desserts for three homeless shelters in the first five days. It was a wonder she didn’t weigh three hundred pounds.
Penny laughed. “Aren’t you the one who preaches honesty?”
“Yes, but I’m working for his family, and he’s the kind of guy who probably sleeps with women like other guys eat chips. And you know I am not that kind of girl.”
“Maybe not, but how do you know he’s like that? I’m so glad you moved home, by the way. You really have been out of the real world for too long. There’s more to life than just work, Fin. And besides, be careful what you say. Maybe I’m one of those girls. I’m no saint.”
“I’m sorry.” Finlay set the bowl aside and sank down to a chair at the table. She knew Penny wasn’t the kind of girl who slept with lots of guys, but her sister did have a more active sex life than she did. Then again, didn’t most socially active twentysomething women?
“Fin, it’s been years since you lost Aaron. Why can’t you explore a little?”
“I did explore, remember? Last year?” The last time she’d had sex was at the end of last year, and it hadn’t gone well. She hadn’t felt any pleasure, and definitely not the type of connection she should have. That experience had been the catalyst to her decision to move back home. Even with Isabel’s friendship, she’d been lonely. If she wasn’t whole enough to love a man, then she could at least be near her sister, who loved her unconditionally.
“I know, but one bad experience does not mean that you won’t find a connection with someone else. Listen, Fin, I’ve had more sex than you have, and I’m four years younger than you. Maybe you should admit to remembering everything. Tell Bullet the truth, that you think about sleeping with him. Go out with him. Heck, sleep with him if you want to. This is your life and your body, and no one is going to judge you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I’m not worried anyone will judge me. I just…I can’t tell him that. I don’t even know if I want to sleep with him. I just know that he makes me confused, and hot. Definitely hot. But that doesn’t mean I need to jump his bones.”
“Then you could lie and say it was a minor lapse in judgment due to alcohol consumption, or just act like you don’t remember anything from last night. He’ll probably believe that. And don’t be embarrassed, which I know you will be. It’s not like he knows you well enough to realize that the side he saw last night has been kept under lock and key for years.”
“Ugh. Why does everything sound so easy when you say it?”
“Because it is. You have choices. Lie or be honest. I personally think you should take a ride on the Bullet train and then figure it out. What do you have to lose?”
“Only my mind. I can’t believe my baby sister is telling me to sleep with a biker.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wants to get naked with him. I’m just being supportive. Besides, I like the Whiskeys. I’d date one of them in a second.”
“How are we even sisters?” Finlay laughed. “You jump into things with your eyes closed, and I have no idea what I want. All I know for sure is that he’s got this way of looking at me, and it makes me nervous, but the good kind of nervous, you know? With Aaron I felt sparks, but this is like lightning. And I don’t understand it, or know what to make of it. He’s everything I never wanted. You know me. Clean-cut guys all the way. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since I saw him at Tru and Gemma’s wedding with their kids when he made that ridiculous pass at me. Remember?”
“I’ll never forget that one. Heck, I want you to sleep with him just so I know if he really is a Bullet train.”
They both laughed.
“Listen,” Penny said in that I-have-all-the-answers-little-sister voice that Finlay knew so well. “You’re curious because he’s tough and confident and strong. He’s everything you are—”
“What? Have you lost your mind? I’m none of those things. I’m like a flower and he’s a lawn mower.”
“You’re so wrong. You’re one of the strongest women I know. When we lost Dad, you were my rock. And now you’re here. Do you know how much courage it takes to pick up your life and start over?”
