The One For Me (Danver #8) (8 page)

Beth’s eyes widened as she looked at her sister. “Just to be clear, we’re still talking about Mark, right?”

“Crap, I don’t know,” Mia murmured. “I’m still processing the whole threesome thing.” Then, raising her hand like a schoolgirl, Mia giggled. “I think I’ve
mentioned that Suzy and Gray were at the top of my list of threesome dream teams.”

“Please don’t encourage her,” Beth moaned.

“Hey, I’d do you, Suzy,” Emma piped in. “You even used to have my favorite ass before Gwen came along.”

“Everyone wants Gwen’s ass,” Claire inserted before covering her face. “I think that came out wrong.”

Suzy bumped shoulders with Claire. “Hey, no judgment here. It’s a safe zone. And thank you, Emma, for your kind words. I’d be looking more for a man-man-woman kind of thing, but you never know.”

Ava cleared her throat as the laughter died down at the table. “Crystal, you do know that Mark doesn’t really do relationships, right? I’m not trying to dissuade you, but to my knowledge, Mark has never been involved with a woman beyond an evening.” Giving Crystal a look of concern, she added, “If you’re looking for something like that, you know, to experiment, then that’s great.”

“Oh, I’m not looking to marry him,” Crystal said breezily. She only hoped that the other women wouldn’t notice how forced her smile was. Of course she tried not to harbor any romantic delusions where Mark was concerned—but didn’t every woman have the Cinderella fantasy from time to time? Possibly, that was her whole problem. She grew up feeling subservient to first her mother and then to her husband. She’d barely been capable of making a decision on her own, and even when she did decide something for herself, she had to wonder if someone in her life hadn’t influenced it. “So . . . a question for all of you,” she began before she could chicken out. “If my being so . . .
different from Mark’s usual kind of woman is a problem, should I show him that I can . . . change?” she stuttered out, no doubt sounding like an idiot. That hadn’t come out right at all.

Before anyone could answer, Ava spoke up again. “When I decided to go after Mac, I had to reinvent myself. It’s not that he didn’t love me as I was, because he did—for years. But I’d lost him because I wasn’t ready to be in a relationship with him. So in order to get his attention, I went a complete one eighty from who I’d always been. Instead of repressed and cautious, I became more of a daredevil. I did stuff that I knew would push every button that he had. I figured negative attention was good so long as he was thinking about me. Even if he only wanted to wring my neck. So I know what you’re trying to say.”

“Just to be clear here,” Suzy asked, sounding fascinated, “are you advising her to go buy some handcuffs and beat Mark at his own game?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Beth grinned, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh, dear God”—Suzy groaned—“must everything lead back to images of you and my brother-in-law? Please don’t traumatize my nephew by doing kinky sex stuff.”

“Duh, that’s why there’s a lock on the bedroom door,” Claire added. “Just because you have children doesn’t mean you don’t still . . . do things. Right, Ella?”

Ella’s face went up in flames, but the twinkle in her eyes said that she knew exactly what the other women were talking about. “Um—sure.”

“I don’t know Mark,” Mia began, “but don’t you
think he’d be a little surprised if Crystal suddenly showed up at his house wearing leather and carrying a whip?” Winking, she added, “Even Seth would do a double take if I did that, and trust me, the man likes his kink.”

Emma reached over and put her hands over Ava’s ears. “Brant is on the dominant side and likes to be in control of the bedroom action.”

“I know you’re talking about sex with my brother,” Ava snapped but didn’t try to remove Emma’s hands.

“Anyway, as I was saying, Brant has those tendencies, but he also likes to be surprised. I don’t think you need to go as far as going all
Fifty Shades
on his ass, but a few assertive things to throw him off his game would probably be good. If he considers you a good girl, then he won’t be expecting you to make any moves on him. So I would do that. Even something small would get his attention.”

“I agree.” Suzy nodded. “Girl, grab that ass if he gets within arm’s reach. I mean really get in there and get yourself a handful of that fine piece.”

Emma, who had been in the middle of taking a drink of water, sprayed Ava as she began choking. Ava wore a disgusted expression as she took a napkin and began mopping herself up before doing the same to her future sister-in-law. When Emma had recovered, she blotted her lips and said, “Well, that would be one way to get his attention, for sure. I was thinking something a bit more subtle to begin with, like being all touchy-feely when he’s around.”

“But I rarely ever see him, unless I’m trying to. . . .”

“You mean stalking.” Mia giggled. “Now that
you’ve spent a weekend with him, you’re a step ahead. You can actually speak when you see him.”

“Whoa! Hold the phone,” Suzy interrupted. “You’ve slept with DeStudo and you’re trying to get advice from us? Honey, it seems like you’ve left some key parts out here, and I, for one, need an explanation.”

Mia whispered a quick “I’m sorry” for spilling the beans.

Crystal figured at this point that she didn’t have anything to lose by telling everyone about her time with Mark. If she wanted their help, then she owed them the full story. So she quickly filled them in on what had transpired after she’d gotten sick and how Mark had taken care of her. She left out their Twitter flirtation, still wanting to keep that to herself.

When she was finished, Ava murmured, “Wow, that’s unbelievable. While I would haven’t called him an uncaring bastard, I’m shocked he didn’t hand you off at the first opportunity.”

“Sometimes a man can surprise you,” Emma pointed out. “Brant and I are still complete opposites, but it works. Oh, baby, does it ever. . . .”

Ava made a gagging sound, causing Emma to laugh.

“Well, you have an opportunity coming up with the barbecue,” Ella said. “And trust me: even if I have to go drag the man myself, he’s going to be there.”

The rest of the lunch was filled with funny dating or sex stories, making Crystal that much more aware
of what was missing from her life. Even if she’d stayed married to her ex, she’d have nothing to share now—which she found completely depressing and unacceptable.

Crystal checked Mark’s Twitter page yet again. He’d gone silent after her last tweet, and it was driving her crazy. She’d broken down on Friday and taken the elevator to his floor, hoping to run into him, but no such luck. Ella’s barbecue was only hours away, and she had no idea if he’d be there. Ella promised that she’d done everything short of threatening Declan to make sure that his friend showed up.

Updating the page one last time, she almost dropped her iPad when she saw a tweet from only seconds earlier on his page.
“Too much of a good thing can be taxing.” Mae West. #Angel.

“What the hell?” she whispered as she reread the quote. Was he telling her that he didn’t have any interest in her? He’d never even given her a chance, so why would he assume that she was too good? She tossed her iPad down on her sofa in disgust. Screw the bastard. She didn’t have to prove anything to him.

Then she stalked around her apartment, raging over what assholes men were. Suddenly, she grabbed her tablet, and began frantically searching quotes, hoping to find one that would make him eat his words. She’d almost given up when she found it. The perfect way to let him know how wrong he was about her. She
typed out,
“I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.” Mae West. #Angel
. She thought it sounded so much better than
#kissmyassMark!

Crystal ran to her closet, more determined than ever to look her best for the barbecue. She wanted Mark to swallow his damn tongue when he saw her today. She needed to strike the right balance between casual and sexy without appearing to have dressed up for the occasion.

After ten minutes of frantic digging through her closet, she found something that she’d bought on clearance last year but never had anywhere to wear it. It was a white strapless sundress. She paired it with a jean jacket and a brown leather belt. She was reaching for sandals when a pair of cowboy boots that she’d worn only a few times caught her eye. She’d seen similar outfits in magazines and always thought they looked fun and flirty.

When she was finished dressing, she stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that she looked hot. Just the right blend of sweet and sexy. Before she could talk herself into changing, she quickly added a touch of pink lip gloss and ran a brush through her loose waves.

The dress was much shorter than she normally wore, and she could only hope there wasn’t a big gust of wind tonight. Just in case, though, she’d worn her sexiest underwear. A girl had to be prepared for anything when going to war, right?

Before the voice of reason could send her into the closet to change outfits, she ran out to her car and was on her way to Ella’s. She spent the entire twenty
minutes of the ride trying to bolster her courage to knock Mark for a flip—and then leave him hanging, since that was essentially what he’d done to her with his Twitter flirting.

“Brace yourself, because you’re mine tonight, DeStudo.”

•   •   •

This is a mistake,
Mark thought yet again, as he pulled into Declan and Ella’s already crowded driveway. He’d tried to decline the invitation with some halfhearted business excuse, but Declan had been unusually insistent that he attend. Mark socialized often, as was expected of someone in his position, but he wasn’t much for the smaller, intimate gatherings such as this. These people not only worked together, but they were also either related by blood or extended family by choice. Something that was almost a foreign concept to him. Denny was the only one who could even remotely fall into that category in his life.

He also hadn’t been too eager to face Crystal after his brush-off Twitter post—because that’s exactly what it had been. She’d been occupying far too many of his thoughts during the past week, and he’d needed to break her hold on him. At first, he’d decided not to reply to her last tweet. Then when it had become apparent that he’d have to attend the barbecue this evening or piss off his friend, he’d felt it might be better to let Crystal know where things stood before seeing her again. He had little doubt that she would be here, even though he hadn’t come right out and asked Declan.

Now, though, he felt a little guilty and wondered if
he hadn’t perhaps been hasty in his dumping via Twitter.
For fuck’s sake, I’ve reverted into a teenager.
It struck him suddenly that he hadn’t looked to see if she’d made any reply to his tweet, so he hastily pulled his phone from the front pocket of his jeans and opened the application. What he read there made his cock jump and his hand cramp as his grip tightened.
Holy fucking shit.
Denny having nicknamed her “Snow White” was ironic, considering her post. But the part about her drifting was enough to have him crawling out of his skin. He’d essentially called her a good girl, and she’d come right back letting him know she no longer was.

Mark paced for another few minutes, trying to get himself under control. He wanted to stomp through the door, get his hands on Crystal, and take her somewhere until he could breathe again. The rational part of his brain said that she was just teasing him. He’d probably hurt her feelings, and she had lashed out. Likely he’d go in and she’d spend the whole evening avoiding him. Which was about the only way he’d survive, so he hoped like hell that happened.

He was pondering getting back in his car and leaving, when an SUV pulled in behind him, effectively cutting off his exit. He saw Mac get out of his Tahoe and cross to the other side to help his wife, Ava.

Mark was unable to hide his smile when the stunning blonde walked toward him. “What are you doing
out here by yourself?” she teased as he leaned down to drop a kiss on her cheek.

“Hiding like a coward,” he answered honestly. She gave him a funny look, which made him wonder if he was more transparent than he’d thought. She couldn’t possibly know about his attraction to Crystal unless she’d been stalking his Twitter profile as well.

Turning to Mac, he extended his hand, saying, “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Mark,” Mac replied as he pulled Ava back against him in a possessive gesture. Mark knew Ava’s family well and considered them friends—a fact that Mac could clearly live without even though he had chosen the nonverbal approach to get his message across. “Are you going inside?” Mac asked, pointing to the front door.

Before he could answer, Ava stepped forward and curled her arm around his, while keeping her other hand on her husband. “Of course he is. Who could resist an evening with such stimulating company?”

Mac looked confused as he stared at his wife, while Mark again had to wonder if she didn’t know more than she should. Was she friends with Angel? “That’s right,” he agreed, letting her pull him along. He’d make the rounds and then slip out early. No big deal at all.

His pep talk lasted him all of five minutes—until the moment he saw her. She was Snow White tonight. A sexy cowgirl version, at least, and he was screwed. His good intentions were already shot. Those plump lips would wrap around his cock and then she’d dig those cowboy boots into his back as he fucked her out
of his system. He could assign some of the blame to her—she should have been smart enough to realize that you can’t tease a tiger as if he’s a house cat without getting mauled.

Crystal was on her second glass of wine when she saw Mark walk in with Ava and Mac. The other women in attendance had already been teasing her for bringing out the big guns tonight. Suzy had even given her a big seal of approval by asking to borrow her outfit at a later date. “The sexual tension between you two is making me horny,” Mia remarked as she looked at Crystal and Mark. “DeStudo hasn’t taken his eyes off you, girl. He’s yours for the taking tonight.”

“Huh—what?” Crystal asked distractedly.

“Yeah—exactly.” Mia snickered. “Just walk around and let him follow. He’s definitely going to.”

Crystal started down a nearby hallway, intending to wipe her sweaty palms and take a breath before approaching Mark. She barely had time to register the sound of footsteps, before her arm was in his grasp and she was swung around and pushed into an empty room. She started to struggle until she heard a masculine voice say, “Angel, it’s me.”

That was it for her. Those words were the equivalent of gas on a flame. She used her hands to locate him in the darkness. “Mark . . .” He made what sounded like a grunt of surprise as she blindly pressed her lips against what she hoped was his mouth. Actually, it
turned out to be his cheek, but she moved to the right until she found what she was looking for and her lips met his.

“What do you need, Angel?” he asked huskily as he rocked against her.

“Touch me,” she begged. He took a couple of steps forward until he’d braced her back against a wall. He pulled her strapless dress down and her bra along with it. Her breasts sprang free into his waiting hands.

“Fuck, I want to see you, baby. But right now, I’ll settle for tasting.” With that, he sucked a bud into his mouth while flicking the tip of the other one. When she moaned, he whispered, “You have to be quiet, Angel, or someone will hear us.”

Moments passed in sheer bliss, as Mark pinched and teased her nipples, while his tongue was back in her mouth. She was hanging on the edge, when suddenly a sliver of light lit up the small space. Before either of them could pull apart, the door flung open and she was gaping at her brother-in-law in horror.

Crystal had to give Declan credit for not being easily shocked, because he simply blinked a couple of times before shutting the door without saying a word. She heard him yell down the hallway, “The broom’s not in the closet. I’ll get the one from the garage.” Apparently, Ella was determined to check for herself because a second later, because Declan, in a voice heavy with amusement, said, “Trust me, Ellie—there’s nothing in that closet that you need to see right now.”

As their voices faded away, Crystal slumped against Mark. “Oh, my God,” she moaned in horror. “My brother-in-law just saw my boobs. Maybe even worse.”

“He left pretty quickly, so I doubt he saw much,” Mark murmured reassuringly.

Maybe she should be utterly embarrassed by what had just happened, but Crystal was surprised to feel a giggle escape, followed quickly by another. Before she knew it, she was slumped back against Mark’s broad chest, shaking with laughter. “This is totally my luck,” she managed to wheeze out. “I mean, I finally throw caution to the wind and decide to go for it, and I bare my tits to Declan!” She heard Mark chuckle in her ear before he nipped it with his teeth. “Ouch!” she yelped, sticking her elbow in his stomach to defend against his love bites.

“Careful, Angel,” he warned. “I have something wedged up against my ass that I suspect is the broom Declan was hunting. If you force me back another step, I’m probably going to become intimately acquainted with it.”

“Oops, sorry,” she replied, trying to stifle a snicker.

“We’d better get presentable and out of here before someone else comes along,” Mark said as he began pulling first her bra and then her dress back up. “I have no idea where the light switch is in here, so we’ll have to check to make sure everything’s as it should be when we step out.”

“Mark . . . I want to go home with you tonight,” Crystal found herself saying as she stared at his outline in the dark. Wait—had she really just asked to have sex with him? Well, yes, she had. Heck, who was she kidding, she’d do it right now, even knowing that Declan was probably watching the door by this point.

“Angel,” Mark said, sounding both surprised and
uncertain. “When and if you’re ever in my home again, it won’t be for another sleepover and it won’t be to make love. We’ll fuck—because that’s what I do. And you don’t strike me as a woman who goes for that type of entertainment.”

“That’s exactly what I want,” Crystal found herself replying. “I’ve never had that before. Actually, I’ve never made love either, if I’m being honest.”

“Wait—what? You’ve been married, Angel. How could you possibly be a virgin?”

“Um, what are you talking about?” she asked. “I didn’t say I was a virgin.”

She heard him sigh in the darkness before he said, “Honey, if you haven’t made love and you haven’t fucked—then what have you done? That about covers it, I believe. Shit, surely you didn’t just do oral while you were married, did you?”

Crystal’s mouth fell open at his statement. “No!” she sputtered. “Bill didn’t do stuff . . . you know . . . down there. What I meant was that my ex-husband wasn’t very good at sex. At least, I don’t think he was. He was my first and only, so I have nothing to compare him to. But I don’t think what we did could be classified as either lovemaking or the other thing. From the things that my friends say, though, there’s a lot more than I’ve experienced, and I want it—with you.”
Oh crap, I didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so desperate.

His voice sounded strained when he finally said, “Angel, I can’t be your white knight, and, baby, you deserve to have one. I’m not capable of giving you what you’re looking for.”

Crystal felt his arm move around her, and she knew he was looking for the door handle. She had just seconds to get his attention before the moment was lost, so she gave it her best shot. “Mark, I want to know what it feels like to be fucked—just the way you’d do it. I don’t want rose petals and champagne. I want dirty, sweat-soaked sheets. I want aches in places I’ve never imagined, and I want to take a man in my mouth for the first time ever.” Stiffening her spine, she added, “If you aren’t interested, then I’ll find someone who is.”

The last word had barely left her mouth when the door was wrenched open once again. She blinked against the light to find Mark’s driver, Denny, standing there grinning. “Let me be the first to toss my name in the mix. Because if my cousin is crazy enough to turn you down, then I’m happy to be your backup plan.”

She could only gape at the other man, mortified. Mark stepped up behind her, putting a hand on her waist. “What in the hell are you doing here?” he gritted out.

Looking completely unaffected by his boss’s biting tone, Denny held up his phone. “Well, actually, you invited me, if you recall, and also ordered me to bring a case of your favorite wine. So I made my delivery but couldn’t seem to locate you anywhere.” Putting a hand on his heart, he continued. “I was so worried that I tracked your phone. Imagine my surprise when your little red dot led me right to the broom closet.”

Having gotten over the initial embarrassment, Crystal was enjoying the sparring going on between the
two men. She had liked Denny right away. And the way he teased Mark was nothing short of hilarious. “Thanks for saving us.” She grinned at the other man. “Mark was under attack by an overeager broom.”

“Oh, my pleasure, beautiful.” Denny grinned before extending his elbow to her. “Shall we join the others while my cousin sulks?”

She looked over her shoulder at Mark to find him glaring at them. When he met her eyes, his expression softened slightly before becoming perplexed. He didn’t know what to do with her. It was written all over his face. She had a feeling that he didn’t often suffer from any kind of indecision. Well, while she had him off balance, she’d do everything in her power to keep him that way. He’d wanted her in that closet, and tonight, she would use all of her limited knowledge to entice him further.

When she walked out onto the back deck with Denny, Ella came over at a fast clip. “Where have you been?” she whisper-shouted before pulling her away from Denny with a smile of apology.

“Making out in your closet,” she replied to a stunned Ella. “Oh, and Declan totally busted us, as I’m sure you’ll be hearing about later.”

“Did you have someone in there with you?” Ella asked, looking hopeful.

“Els, of course. Even I’m not desperate enough to masturbate at your barbecue.”

Ella started choking, while Crystal reached over to thump her on the back. A few feet away, Declan caught her eye and lifted a beer as if saluting her. Ella, noticing the interaction, looked back and forth between
them before exclaiming, “How in the world does my husband know something like that before me?”

“Er—he might have walked in on us,” Crystal admitted sheepishly.

Before Ella could respond, most of their female friends had surrounded them. Mia smirked then elbowed Suzy. “You got lucky, didn’t you, Crys?”

Suzy gave her an appraising look before saying, “She certainly did something. She has the rosy, sexy glow going on.”

“What’d I miss?” Gwen waddled up to the group, holding her back.

Crystal saw an opportunity for a distraction, and she jumped on it. “Gwen! You’ve been avoiding us since your ultrasound appointment. I’m dying to know whether I’m having a niece or nephew, so spill.”

Gwen shook her head before dropping it. “We chickened out.”

“Pardon?” Claire asked, looking confused.

Emma pointed to Gwen’s stomach. “You do realize that you’ve got a little person in there and it’s too late for backing out, right?”

Beth gave a rueful smile. “I had some of those moments of panic myself. But Nick kept telling me that returns were illegal.”

“Oh no, that’s not what I meant,” Gwen sputtered out with laughter. “We’ve decided to wait until the baby is born to find out the sex. We’ll probably be moving to a bigger place shortly afterward anyway, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go all out on a baby
room. Our families are disappointed, but it’s something we both wanted.”

“Well, if you ask me, there’s not enough mystery left in the world,” Suzy agreed. Pointing to Ella, she added, “Just please don’t go all Linda Blair when you’re in labor like that one did.”

“She scared the holy hell out of me!” Ava giggled. “I’ve told Mac not to even think about having children until I get that memory out of my head.”

“At least you were the skinny skank,” Suzy said dryly. “Although I’m pretty happy being the queen of the whores.” Everyone laughed, having heard the story of Ella going into labor while she was with Suzy and Ava and calling them all kinds of horrible things from the pain she was in.

Then Mia pushed her under the bus. “Crys, your lipstick is smudged all around your mouth and the seam of your dress is askew.”

Crystal looked down to find that yes, indeed, when Mark had helped her with her dress, he hadn’t exactly done a great job in the dark. The side seam now ran down the middle of her chest. Why hadn’t she gone to the bathroom after leaving the closet? She might as well be holding up a sign that said
I JUST GOT GROPED IN THE CLOSET
.

“And Declan busted them,” Ella blurted out.

“Way to have my back there, sis,” Crystal deadpanned. “All right,” she said in resignation, “Mark pushed me into Ella’s broom closet, and we kind of made out.”

“Shut the fluck up!” Beth squealed excitedly.

Suzy rolled her eyes. “I swear, with all of these kids around now, we can’t even curse anymore. I’ve been reduced to ‘mothertrucker’ and ‘duckhead.’ It just doesn’t give me the same feeling of satisfaction.”

“No kidding,” Claire agreed. “Jason rolled out the
F
word in front of Chrissy a while back and she was like a parrot. She must have said it in front of my mom and Louise a dozen times. It got to the point that they were giving me dirty looks and suggesting I go to church more often.”

“So, we already know that Mark had his hands either down or up your dress, since it’s all turned around.” Mia laughed. “Dare I hope that he had them both places?”

Crystal knew that her blush was giving her away when Mia’s eyes widened. Throwing up her hand in a high five, she said, “You go, girl!”

“It was amazing,” Crystal confessed before adding the part that worried her. “But he said that he couldn’t be what I was looking for. I tried to assure him that I only wanted hot sex, but he seems to believe I’m looking for a wedding ring. A relationship down the road would be good, of course, but I’d be happy with a man who actually puts me first—even if it’s only for a night.”

“Honey, every woman deserves to have her toes curled.” Suzy nodded. “You just need to take the reins here and make it happen. If he shoved you in a closet, then his composure is hanging on by a thread. All you have to do is reel him in. Take this time to torture his ass.”

“Suzy’s right,” Mia agreed. “He’s sitting over there
talking to Seth. So you’re going to follow me, and when I sit on Seth’s lap, you sit on Mark’s.”

“Okay—Wh-what?” Crystal’s eyes widened. “I can’t do that. He’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”

“Trust me.” Claire smiled. “That’s not going to be what’s on his mind.”

Gwen clapped her hands and bounced up and down in excitement, causing the other women to look at her in alarm. “Cool your jets there, baby mama, or something’s gonna fall out,” Emma advised, looking wary.

Before Crystal could run in the other direction, Mia grabbed her arm and pulled her toward where her boyfriend sat. Seth started to get to his feet, but Mia pressed him back down then settled across his lap.
I can’t believe I’m doing this,
Crystal thought before she followed suit and perched gently on Mark’s lap. She heard his quick intake of breath before his arms encircled her, almost as if by reflex.

Then her traitor of a friend smoothly got to her feet and tugged her boyfriend up with her. “Come on, babe. I need a drink.” In the blink of an eye, they were gone and she was left alone in the corner with Mark.