The Hourglass (5 page)

Brooke rolled her eyes and chuckled under her breath. “I’m so glad you’re the high maintenance best friend, I don’t think I have the energy.”

Deciding I needed to get back to work, I got up off the couch. “I’m heading to my office; I have a conference call with a new client. I’m going running after work, want to join me?”

Brooke scrunched her nose and shook her head. “It’s too cold, besides, I have to finish this layout.”

Halfway through my day, I was surprised when my assistant walked through my office door carrying two dozen long-stemmed yellow roses. “A delivery for you, Savannah.” Setting them down on my desk I swiped the card from the bouquet and blushed when I read it.

Sorry about last night. Let me make it up to you tonight. –LW

The carefree, excited side of me wanted to call Luke and instantly agree to tonight, but the pissed off side of me decided I’d make him squirm by going the rest of the day without acknowledging him or my receipt of the flowers that now decorated my desk.

The day quickly passed, and my eight-mile run was almost over. Coming around the bend, I spotted Luke, who was obviously finishing his run as well. He was jogging without a care in the world, black Nike track pants on and a dri-fit, long-sleeved shirt that was drenched in sweat causing it to cling to his every muscle. Luke spotted me and I felt my center flush with heat as a smirk took over his face, the two of us finishing our run at the entrance of the office parking garage. Tugging on his ear buds Luke opened the door that led to our cars while I slipped in and he followed. Sprinting up the stairs to the ninth floor we were both winded as we approached our cars.

“Any special deliveries today?” Luke asked opening the back of his Range Rover, before pulling his shirt above his head to expose his sculpted body.

“Nothing special, why do you ask?” I winked, pulling my sweater off now that I no longer needed two layers of clothing.

Luke let out a barking laugh and leaned over tugging my arm so I was pressed up against his sweaty body. “Just curious, I was kind of hoping I could make up for last night,” he teased pressing himself harder against my tiny
Sav's "tiny frame" b4 she was referred to as 6 ft
frame. In pure female fashion all had been forgiven and I was putty in his perfect hands.

“You have a lot to make up for, buddy,” and before I could get anything further out of my mouth Luke slammed the back door and pulled me around the side of the car, lifting me into the back seat. Squishing in next to me, he closed the door behind him.

We freed ourselves of our clothes, and Luke pulled me onto his lap. “I want you right here, right now,” he growled into my mouth. Our already sweaty bodies molded together as I began syncing my body with the rhythm of his, fully ensuring he made up for last night.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Brooke

WHERE THE
HELL
is she? I sat in Savannah’s desk chair spinning around in circles waiting to give her the great news I’d gotten last night. I tried calling, but no answer which led me to believe she was preoccupied. Thank God, that should help lessen the sour mood she was in yesterday. Facing the desk again the yellow roses caught my eye. Leaning forward, the chair creaking as I grabbed the card. Savannah knew I was nosey as hell, and well, if she showed up to work on time I wouldn’t be left unsupervised. So, I guess
Mr. Work
decided to make amends; he must have known the wrath he was facing by ditching Savannah.

Just as a giggle escaped my lips, I could hear Savannah’s voice approaching. Figuring she’d want to tell me all about it herself, I quickly replaced the card back to the arrangement. I stood and stepped away from her chair, just as Savannah stampeded in like a blur and tossed her stuff on her desk, taking a bit more care with her camera.

“Well hello there, so nice of you to join us at work today,” I teased.

Plopping in her chair, Savannah let out a huff and rolled her eyes at me. “Oh please, you’re lucky I even came in after the festivities of last night,” she tossed back with a wink. “I am sore; he was not gentle by any means.”

“Ugh!” I mock puked. “Too much information.”

Letting out a boisterous laugh Savannah spun around in her chair like a child. “Like you’re not doing the same with your new guy.”

Joining in her laughter, I couldn’t help but think of Lucas. He and I had texted back and forth and were planning to go on a date the following night. “Sav, at what point do I need to… you know, keep him interested?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Stopping her hundredth spin, Savannah’s eyes narrowed on mine as a perfectly shaped eyebrow shot up. “What do you mean Brooke? Have you guys not got all hot and sweaty yet?”

“Ugh Savannah; seriously! I‘m not you, you know that.”

“Not a whore?” Savannah laughed as my jaw hit the floor.

“No, I just can’t be as carefree and confident, it’s not me. I need the romance, the dating and the wooing,” I said, feeling a little wistful.

“Puke! Seriously Brooke, you’re making me gag over here. That’s your problem, too many romance novels. These guys aren’t coming in to sweep you off your feet, not unless it’s to get you on your back. You have to keep them interested, you can’t be easy, but you can’t come across as the Virgin Mary either. When is your next date?” I could see the flames bursting in her eyes as a grand scheme was concocted.

“He had to reschedule, he had some work function come up,” I muttered. Mischief lit Savannah’s face, and I knew where this was going. Terror tore through me as I recalled past grand plans of Savannah Prescott. I would have the Savannah School of Dating beaten into me by nightfall. She s
tood and picked up her purse again. Then Savannah dragged me out of her office.

“Hey, hold on a minute, you just got here. Where are we going?” I tried digging my heels in, but it was useless.

Five hours later, my feet ached from traipsing around the mall, my head hurt from the heat and products they put in my hair, and my nether regions were on fire from what Savannah swore was just a simple Brazilian waxing.

I sat in Savannah’s condo while she poured two overfull glasses of wine and handed me one. “So Brooke, this is the deal. You’ve got to tease and play with him. Guys are like children, and you have to be the fun, shiny new toy.”

I took a large gulp of my wine, thinking I probably wanted something much stronger.

“Hey, are you listening to me? Where is your phone?” Savannah questioned, waving a hand in front of my face.

Blinking my eyes to focus on her face, I could see a devious plan bursting to life in her. It terrified me. “My phone? Why?” I asked nervously.

“’Cause I’m going to teach you the art of sexting. Let’s go, grab your phone.”

Slowly pulling my phone out, a Cheshire Cat-grin spread across Savannah’s face as she began telling me illicit things to text to Lucas. Within seconds, my phone vibrated in my hands with a reply.

God, you're
making me regret having to cancel our date even more. I would love to make it up to you, and show you how badly I want to see you.

“Tell him just thinking about it makes you wet, and the phone vibrating didn’t help!”

“Sav— Gross!” I yelled appalled as she snatched my phone from me. “Stop, you’re going to terrorize the guy. He isn’t like that. He is nice and romantic.”

“Yeah, sure thing, Brooke,” she tossed the phone back at my head.

“Hey, so there was a reason I was in your office this morning, and it wasn’t for the torture treatment I ended up receiving,” I said as I took another healthy sip of my wine polishing off the glass. “Management called. I got a condo!”

Savannah leapt to her feet. “Oh-my-God, no way! That is fantastic; do you know what floor you are on?”

“No, I have a meeting tomor—” my phone buzzed loudly alerting me to another text from Lucas.

Now. I want to see you now. Say you’ll meet up with me!

Savannah snatched up my phone. “Brooke— Go.”

“What? Why? No. We are celebrating, girl’s night, yay us,” I whined, doing a mock fist pumping motion in the air.

“Brooke, he’s primed and ready, so go. Now!” she demanded as she shoved me out the door.

Dashing home, I texted him my address. As I walked in the front door of my apartment I ripped my clothes off, dropping them along the way. Then I pulled out the lacy lingerie Savannah had picked out and quickly put it on. I took a spin in front of the full length mirror.
Not too shabby, Brooke
Reid.
Slipping on the dress and then the heels, I grabbed my clutch and switched my ID and money over to it real fast. The dress delicately draped over my body, hugging my curves and making me feel like it was made specifically for me. A shot! I needed a shot of something. I located the bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a hearty glass.

The buzzer for the door sounded, alerting me to Lucas’s arrival.

“Hey Lucas, I’ll buzz you in. I’m not quite ready yet,” I called into the intercom box as I slung back the whiskey. Liquid courage. Savannah said to make him wait, be less available. I sure hoped she was right. A quick rap on the door set my nerves a blaze. This was it. Now or never.

“Hey hun, wow, Brooke, you look… I can’t even find the words. My God, woman,” Lucas stammered, and with a flourish pulled out some beautiful long-stemmed red roses.

“Oh Lucas, they are lov—”

As he sealed his lips onto mine, I could taste the cinnamon on his breath. His free hand wrapped around my waist and brought me up against his body. There was no concealing the desire growing inside him as his tongue slipped into my mouth and tangled with my own.

“Brooke, what are you doing to me?” His lustful voice whispered into my ear as he nipped at my ear lobe. “Come on; let’s get going before I’m unable to leave.”

Now or never Brooke, now or never.
My hand clasped him by his tie and I pulled him further into the apartment. Lucas kicked the door shut as I restarted our passionate kiss. As my fingers nimbly began unbuttoning his dress shirt, I let my lips trail along his jaw line and nuzzle into the stubble that had grown through the day.

Lucas, ever the gentleman, kept his hands on the outside of my clothing, while I burned on the inside for him to touch me. I needed him to burn too. Savannah’s voice and advice played in my head. I needed to lure him in and seduce him. Slowly I trailed my fingers down his arm and took hold of his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You’re right, Lucas, we should go. We stay much longer and I may just skip right to dessert,” I purred as I bit my bottom lip and batted my eyelashes.

“Oh, hell,” Lucas growled as he literally attacked me, grasping my thighs, he lifted me up in one smooth motion and wrapped my legs around his waist. While sucking on my neck and walking down the hallway, he paused to ask, “Which way?” Unable to speak, I simply tilted my head toward my bedroom, and Lucas propelled us into the room. He threw me onto the bed with enough force that I bounced before settling.

Launching himself at me, he was all hands, and I was a bundle of burning nerves. This was it,
Be sexy,
Brooke
. Flipping him onto his back, I shoved him into the mattress and placed a quick kiss on his lips before standing back up. As Lucas propped himself up on his elbow, I unzipped my dress and let it slowly and seductively fall to the floor, watching his jaw drop simultaneously.

Leaning forward I pushed his shirt over his head and then traced the chiseled lines of his abdomen that defined each ab in precise perfection. Finally at his pants I started to unfasten them, watching as his self-control wavered. Just as I unzipped his slacks, he unraveled, yanking me to him and pinning me to the bed beneath him. It seemed our resistance had gone out the window as we caressed each other and desperately tried to pull the other closer. His soft lips trailed kisses along my collar bone, as his fingers danced across delicate parts of my body. I scraped my nails against his back, up to the nape of his neck so that I could run my fingers through his hair just like I had envisioned when he first ran in to me. “You are mine,” he groaned out, his voice filled with gravel. My body begged for him, my blood was pumping through my veins so fast all I could hear was the whooshing in my ears, and feel the beat of my pulse. With one final push, he sank himself into me. A moan escaped my lips as he moved to a steady rhythm, granting my body its every carnal desire.