The Do-Over (8 page)

He opened the door for her.

“Good night, Kyle,” she said in a raspy voice, getting into the car.

He leaned into the car, wanting to explore her mouth again, but he settled for kissing her forehead. “Drive carefully.”

He closed the door and watched her drive away. He hadn’t planned to kiss her again, but part of him had thought the last kiss was a fluke. He’d imagined it wouldn’t be as exciting a third time. It wasn’t. It was much better.

Chapter Eight

Kyle lay on his bed, unable to sleep, wondering if Lanie was thinking about their kisses. This odd girl managed to occupy so many of his thoughts. One of his regular booty calls had texted him to come over, but he declined. The whole thing scared Kyle. There was no way he was attracted to Lanie. Moreover, he was definitely not into the virgin thing. He liked girls with experience. He was no teacher, and it wasn’t a turn-on at all. Yet he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He kept seeing her deep hazel eyes and long, slender fingers, remembering how her delicate, soft curls felt against his hands. He recalled the sweet curve of her mouth and the luscious smile she gave him.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Kyle said aloud to the empty room. He never had problems going to sleep and certainly not over a girl. They’d only shared a few kisses, after all. Amazing, soft, furious, passionate kisses. In some ways, it felt like his first kiss.

He pulled on sweatpants and a Syracuse sweatshirt, deciding to go for a walk. Kyle always walked when he needed to think about a big story or other issues that plagued his mind. Tonight it wasn’t helping to clear his head at all. Lanie was a sweet girl—misguided, but sweet. She loved Brad, and in a strange way, they would be very good together. Cassie was, for sure, not good for Brad…or, for that matter, any guy. She was arm candy, and like any candy, she was addictive in a very bad way. Kyle was definitely no saint, but he wasn’t evil. If anything, he was flawed, and he could admit that about himself. He wanted to feel like an outsider, observing this bizarre situation like a journalist should. But now he was completely vested in this crazy entanglement. Why shouldn’t he be? Brad was his oldest friend. And then there was Lanie, who he now thought of as a friend too.

Fuck, maybe they should all go on Dr. Phil and get some resolution. He imagined Cassie throwing a chair at Lanie and laughed. Then again, Lanie probably wouldn’t duck. Why wouldn’t she? He had looked up her bio at work, and she had an impressive résumé. She was a brilliant lawyer and did more pro bono work than any attorney there. She was accomplished and successful, but she acted like such a pushover, at least when it came to her sister.

Lanie had seemed so brash and ballsy the first time he met her. She had made sexual comments about the leggy blonde screaming his name. Lanie was right. The blonde, Candace or Connie or whatever her name was, had screamed his name over and over when her legs were wrapped around his neck later that night. Kyle didn’t say her name back though. He couldn’t remember it, even when they were in the throes of passion. He was only thinking of the Pulitzer, the most coveted prize in journalism, and…Lanie. How could she be so perceptive about him, yet so stupid when it came to her own life?

Right now, he wasn’t thinking of the Pulitzer at all. All his thoughts were focused on her. Was she thinking about him? He doubted it. She was busy dreaming about good old Brad. He texted her, knowing it was too late for her to answer.
Hey, are you okay?

He was surprised to get a text right back.
Yep. Why?

Just wanted to make sure.

R U feeling guilty, mister?

Kyle laughed. He was feeling guilty.
You got me.

Don’t. It was a very nice first kiss. One I’ll remember.

Want to meet for lunch tomorrow?
He sucked in a breath waiting for her answer.

Ok.

When he read her answer, Kyle wondered what she was doing up so late, and he almost texted her to ask but decided not to. He liked believing that she was thinking about him. After all, he was definitely thinking about her. Why did he even want to meet her? He wasn’t sure except he felt he should help her more. She was giving him a story worthy of a Pulitzer, and he was, what…telling her how to dress? It didn’t seem quite quid pro quo.

Who was he kidding? Or was he kidding himself? He wanted to sleep with her. Maybe he would feel some relief if he just acted on this. The thought made him feel like an asshole. Was he actually contemplating taking her virginity? What kind of douche bag did that? But at the same time, Lanie was an adult, and it would be her decision. He wouldn’t be taking advantage of her. He’d be open and honest about his intentions, and she was the kind of girl who would appreciate that. He was a good lover, but he wasn’t patient. He promised himself that if she agreed, he would be with her…for her. Besides, Brad was a very moral guy, but he certainly wasn’t into virgins either, and it wouldn’t deter Lanie’s goals in any way. Really, he was doing them all a favor. Even if Lanie had sex with Kyle, it wouldn’t make her less desirable to Brad. Lanie wouldn’t be looking for a commitment either. She wanted Mr. Fantastic, not Mr. Fucktastic. She was a lawyer, so they could surely come up with some sort of oral contract. Oral contract…he imagined those sweet lips wrapped around him, and his cock jerked inside his pants. Kyle kicked a garbage can before breaking into a sprint. The walking wasn’t working. Maybe running would be better.

* * * *

Lanie tried to put the kiss out of her mind but found herself thinking about it at all hours of the day when she needed to concentrate on work. It only confirmed she had done the right thing by not giving in to any temptations and concentrating on school and work all those years. She didn’t have a point of comparison, but the kisses they’d shared stirred every molecule in her body as if it were waking up from a deep hibernation. They were passionate and tender at the same time. His eyes were even deeper in those moments and almost feral, creating sensations she thought were reserved for romantic movies and books. It was unexpected and unnecessary the way he stood up for her with Cassie, but she also found it endearing. No one had ever done that for her, not once in her life. Who could have imagined Kyle Manchester would be that person?

It didn’t matter though. Kyle was a nice guy, but he was just trouble. His type was all about quantity and variety, not quality or consistency. Brad was different. He saw past Cassie’s flaws and cherished her. In a weird way, that just made Lanie love him more.

The morning meeting consisted of all the juniors going over their active cases. Lanie received more attention than she was used to when she discussed the status of the Hayes case. Her boss once again encouraged her to seek help with the loads of work involved. She needed a co-counsel on this one. Lanie knew she was a great case lawyer, but she did not have a commanding courtroom presence. This would be the biggest case in her life…her rainmaker, which coincidentally contained all the twists and shockers of a John Grisham novel. She had been able to keep it as a junior associate because she had brought it to the firm, and the girls insisted she be their lawyer.

She stared at the room full of attorneys, many of whom she’d never talked to. Especially the women, who spoke of her in hushed whispers because she was such an oddball. She had a hard time conversing with them about clothing or television or anything even remotely normal. If it wasn’t about work, she was tongue-tied or silent. That was, most likely, why she didn’t have any friends. She never had, not in grade school, high school, or even college. She was a reclusive kind of girl, and she preferred it that way.

That was the initial driving motivation for her feelings for Brad. She felt comfortable conversing with him outside of work. Funny, it was the same with Kyle. In fact, it was even easier with Kyle because she didn’t feel a need to impress him or read into what he was saying.

Finally the staff meeting ended, and she left to meet Kyle for lunch at the same café. He sat at the same table in the corner, working on his laptop. He stood up and slid out a chair for her as she approached.

“You have to get new shoes. Did you steal those from a nurse?” he asked with a cocky grin. “You have sexy ankles. Show them off.”

Lanie blushed, confused by Kyle’s brashness followed by flirtation. It made her head spin a little.

“I plan to go shopping.”

Kyle sighed. “Do you want me to go with you?”

“Do you want to go?” Lanie asked hopefully.

“No, I hate shopping, but I’ll go if you want.”

“I thought you were really into clothes. You dress so metrosexual, and you seem obsessed with women’s shoes.” It was true. He always looked like he’d stepped out of the pages of
GQ
, whether he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt or a gabardine suit.

“I have a personal shopper. You should get one of those. I’m sure a lot of women at your firm use them.”

They did, but Lanie didn’t want a stranger shopping for her. She wanted to pick out her own things.

“I’ll figure it out,” Lanie replied and bit her lower lip.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you want to have sex?”

Lanie’s mouth dropped open, and she replayed the question while she wondered if she’d misheard him.

She didn’t answer at first. She tried in vain to concentrate on lowering her wildly beating heart, sure Kyle could hear it through all her layers. Luckily, the waitress came then to take their order. Lanie was thankful for the diversion, but Kyle looked like he wanted to choke the poor woman.

“I guess so. I don’t really think about it that much.”

“You’ve never pleasured yourself?”

Lanie felt a sudden heat creep up her neck. He was looking at her with hooded, demanding eyes. She straightened up and considered dabbing her napkin in water to run it across her face. The room felt very hot suddenly. Sometimes Kyle was too forward, especially now, when they were in public. “No, but I’m not an idiot. I know how it all works.”

“You know Brad’s going to want to have sex, right?”

“Well, I figured that, Kyle,” she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“I have an idea if you’re game for it.”

“I’m listening,” she replied, staring at a spot on the tablecloth.

“Please look at me when I’m talking to you. I know this is an uncomfortable topic, but we’re friends, right?”

She shifted her gaze to his bright green eyes, admiring his mischievous smile and the perfect length of his inky-black hair. It was short enough to be professional but long enough that it could take a good yanking. Did he have to work at achieving that perfect blend of messy neatness or did it just come naturally? He was wearing a short-sleeved polo today, and his arm flexed every time he reached for his glass.

“Yes, we’re friends.”

Kyle swallowed as if he was nervous too. Lanie dismissed the ridiculous thought. “Would you consider having sex with me?”

She almost choked on her mock daiquiri. “Are you serious?”

“I’ve been thinking about it since your little revelation the other night. I thought, since you’re not saving yourself for Brad, you should test out your equipment.”

“Test my equipment?” she asked with measured skepticism.

“To make sure it all works. As your friend, I’m willing to make the sacrifice and conduct initial trials.” Lanie arched her eyebrows. She noticed his fingers inching toward hers on the table, but they stopped just shy of touching her. “Think about it. Maybe you’re frigid and don’t like to be touched.”

“I don’t think I’m frigid, Kyle.”

“That’s just it. You don’t know. You backed away from our kiss, after all. The last thing you’d want is to reject Brad the first time you’re intimate with him. It’ll freak him out, and he’ll probably never want to touch you again for fear he’d hurt you.”

Lanie’s eyes got big as she considered the validity of Kyle’s statement. She knew, on some level, it was a line of bullshit. However, she had no idea if she liked sex, and that was something she needed to know before entering a serious relationship. Kyle ran his hands through his hair, continuing, “I can help you with this, Lanie. If you reject me, I won’t be offended. You can pretend I’m Brad if you want. I don’t even mind if you scream out his name.”

Their food arrived as she was forming an answer. Kyle again looked like he wanted to strangle the waitress.

“I don’t know,” she said dubiously. “This is sounding less like
My Fair Lady
and more like
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
to me.”

Kyle laughed. “Maybe it’s a little of both.”

His voice was solemn and sincere as he finally took Lanie’s hand. “I can promise you a few things, and we can make ground rules, okay? If you’re uncomfortable with anything, we don’t have to do it.”

Lanie chewed on her lower lip, wondering what it would be like to see Kyle naked. The thought made her warm, like a fan blowing hot air was aimed at her, but it definitely wasn’t coming from the overhead vent. It was radiating from deep within her body, and she enjoyed the feeling. She pressed her legs together as the image of Kyle’s muscular frame, slick with sweat, rocking into her, invaded her mind. Kyle was a beautiful man and someone she was attracted to, but the idea sounded ridiculous, especially in light of her feelings for Brad. I lust him, Lanie thought. I lust Kyle. I love Brad. Big difference.

It put everything into perspective for her. The decision wasn’t difficult, under those assertions.

“Do you think they have ice cream here?” Lanie asked.

Kyle cocked his eyebrow, obviously surprised by her question. “I have no idea. Why do you ask?”

“Because I like ice cream when I’m stressed,” she replied, thinking she wasn’t just stressed. She was burning up and needed something cold.

“I don’t mean to cause you anxiety. Don’t worry. I’ll get you ice cream whether they have it here or not, if that’s what you want.”

“Wow, Kyle, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” she replied with a smile.

He wasn’t smiling. He looked contrite and apologetic. “I’m a total ass. I’ve been hostile and cruel to you. If you don’t want to do this, I completely understand.”