The Perfect Indulgence (8 page)

Bodie was nothing if not simple.

“Awesome.” Bodie signaled the waitress. “Where do you want to go? My place?”

Chris blinked. “Uh, I meant I want to go home.”

“Okay, that’s cool, too.” He dug out his wallet. “This is on me, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Generally she’d insist on paying her half, but after what Bodie had put her through, his paying was pure justice.

“No problem.” He shook back his hair, which wasn’t really long enough to shake, plus it had been overbaked by sun and dried crispy by salt, so it barely moved. “Money is not a problem for me.”

“That’s nice.” She smiled politely, glad for him. After all, considering his intelligence and personality were clearly lacking, he might as well be rich.

Thankfully the waitress brought back his receipt quickly and they were out of the restaurant and over to Bodie’s car in a flash. He drove ridiculously fast all the way to her house, obviously as eager as she was to get the evening over with. And to his credit, he was gentlemanly enough to walk her to her front door, where she leaned in for a quick sisterly hug before she—

Urgh. The hug was not quick. She was crushed against him, and then backed up against the door, where he covered her mouth with his. His tongue seemed to be everywhere, exploring her molars with great curiosity.

Ew.

She broke free. “Um, Bodie—”

“I know, babe, I’m feeling it, too.” He leaned in for more, mouth open terrifyingly wide. “Let’s go inside and finish what we started.”

“Bodie!” She was having a hard time not laughing. “That isn’t what... I’m not—”

“Baby. You ’n’ me, we could have something as epic as
Lord of the Rings
, as wild as wolves in the woods, as kinky as...” He was clearly struggling. “Kinky as...”

“Boots?” she offered helpfully.

“Yeah, okay, if you’re into that, I’m there.” His breath was warm on her face. Unfortunately, he’d had something for dinner with a lot of garlic. “All I know is...with what I feel for you, we could set the very ocean on fire.”

A snort escaped her. Then another one. No, no, no, she couldn’t laugh, she couldn’t— She did.

“Has there been a recent oil spill?” Another gale of laughter, then she saw that Bodie was not amused and reined herself in, though one last snort escaped her. “Sorry.”

“Hey, so I misspoke myself.” He took a step back, looking annoyed. “No need to get all name-calling like that.”

Had
she called him any names? “Sorry, Bodie, that was uncalled-for. But I’m not interested in spending the night with you.”

She might as well have slapped him across the face. He was that stunned. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. No, I’m not. I enjoyed...” She searched frantically for a way to tell him the truth. “I enjoyed the dinner and margaritas, but I’m calling it a night.”

“Okay, but we can sleep together another time, right?”

“No.” She laid a hand on his cheek. “You are totally sexy, but you’re not the guy for me.”

“Damn. I thought I was in.” He rubbed his shoulder thoughtfully. “It’s Zac, huh. You like smart guys.”

Her eyes shot wide. “What? No. He’s— No. Zac’s just a friend.”

“Whatever.” He shrugged. “Well, okay, guess I’ll go back to the bar and try again.”

Chris blinked at him. Did he really just say that? “Gosh, Bodie. You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”

“Yeah.” He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up, already backing down her front walk. “That’s what they all tell me. See ya around.”

He swaggered back to his convertible. Chris went into the house, closed the door and stood for a few seconds, trying to comprehend a universe that would produce a specimen like that.

Eva would love this. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed her sister.

“Chris, oh, wow.” Eva burst into nervous giggles. “I can’t believe you just called me.”

Chris frowned. “Why?”

“Oh, because—” Ames’s voice rumbled in the background. “Right, okay. I don’t know, Chris. I was just thinking about you!”

Chris was mystified. What was Eva up to? Had she been swimming in the margarita bowl, too? “We’re twins, Eva. This happens all the time.”

“I know, but...” The line became muffled. Eva’s and Ames’s voices mumbled urgently.

“Eva?” Chris wandered into the living room. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Nothing, sorry, I was distracted. So how are all your hot California men doing?”

“Funny you should ask.” Chris told her the Bodie story, sparing nary a detail. By the time she finished, Eva was giggling madly.

“Oh, Bodie. So hot, and also
so
not. But I’m glad you’re done with him and Gus, because that means Zac is next on the list.”

“Zac’s not even
on
the list.” She sounded so knee-jerk panicked even to herself, that it was obvious Zac was not only definitely on the list, but sitting right at the top in bold, all caps, underlined twice.

Damn it. She should not have had more than one drink tonight.

“Oh, right, Chris, right. Zac’s not on the list. Yeah, okay, I believe you.”

Chris’s heart started beating wildly. She could not even
think
about Zac without anxiety clouding her vision. In fact, she was getting all worked up and annoyed right now. “He and I had a late-night talk on the beach yesterday.”

“Ooh, yes?”

“It was okay at first, and then we had a disagreement. I’m telling you, we just don’t get along. So then he walked me home.” She was getting more and more worked up, pacing Eva’s living room. “And then, when I said good night, he
kissed
me.”

Eva gasped. “Wow! This is—”

“I couldn’t
believe
it!”

“Oh. You couldn’t?” Eva sounded confused. “Why not?”

“Well, I mean—” Chris gestured to the air, trying to remember why this had seemed like such an outrageous story when she started it. “I mean, we weren’t on a date or anything. It was like...so wrong! And so—”

“Chris?”

Her arm dropped. The classes she’d taken at the Peace, Love and Joy Center had made her question why she flew off the handle like this, but her alcohol-fogged brain was not working well tonight, so...forget it. “What?”

“Men kiss women they like and are attracted to. This is what happens here on our planet.”

Chris wrinkled her nose. “I
know
that.”

“So...? Was it a good kiss?”

The best ever.
“Yeah, it was okay. But that’s not the—”

“Ha! You are such a bad liar. I don’t even know why you are
trying
. Especially with me!”

“Right. I know.” She sank into a chair, feeling suddenly hopeless. “It’s stupid.”

“What is? What’s going on? Are you falling for him?”

Chris took in a deep breath, let it out, eyes closed, except the room started swimming and she had to open her eyes to steady it.

“No, of course not.” Her voice cracked. “I just can’t seem to help wanting him like crazy.”

“Aw, Chris. I know it’s scary. When I realized how I felt about Ames, I totally freaked out. Commitmentphobia to the extreme.”

“But I’ve had long-term relationships before. I’ve never felt like this.” She sounded whiny and pathetic.

“Chris.” Eva was breathless with excitement. “Maybe he’s
The One
.”

“No. No, he is not The One.” She was certain of that. “We totally get on each other’s nerves. He’s maybe The Eight or The Nine.”

“Why don’t you just have a fling with him, then?” Eva’s voice had turned sly. “You said that’s what you wanted to do while you were out here—I mean out
there
. At least Zac isn’t an idiot like Gus and Bodie.”

Chris blinked. Blinked again. A glow of excitement started in her chest. Her heart slowed and she felt a huge weight lift. That could actually work. As long as she wasn’t falling for him, which, when she was sober, she’d need to figure out for sure. Her inner self was happy with the fling idea. Look how quickly her panic and confusion had dissipated.

However. Chris was
not
letting her sister know she was even considering the idea. Eva would start planning her and Zac’s wedding before they even got to climax together.

Ooh. Nice thought. The climax, not the wedding.

“Eva, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Because...because...” Inspiration hit. “Zac isn’t the fling type.”

Eva snorted. “He’s a guy. All you have to do is say some variation of, ‘Hey, wanna do it?’ and he’s yours. Men are very simple creatures.”

A vision rose of Chris saying that to Zac. Of his face darkening with desire, his arms reaching for her, his body backing hers into her bedroom, down onto her bed and—

A sound broke into her daydream. Huh? What was— Oh, right.

“I have to go. Doorbell’s ringing!”

“Ooh! Go see who it is. If it’s Bodie or Gus, do
not
let them in. If it’s Zac—”

“Ha.” Chris snorted on her way to check. “It’s not going to be Zac.”

“It could be.”

“You should have seen how he looked when he saw me with Bodie. Like he wanted to rip me out of the car and feed me to bison.”

“Bison are herbivores. Who is it?”

Chris checked the peephole and gasped, clapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, it’s Bodie. Holding my sunglasses. I must have left them in his car. Talk to you later, Eva, bye.”

“Don’t let him in!”

“No, no, don’t worry. Bye!”

Chris hung up the phone and stood motionless, collecting herself, feeling guilty for rushing her sister off the phone, and also feeling unbelievably fizzy. Then she grabbed the handle and swung open the door.

To Zac.

6

C
HRIS
TOOK
A
moment to center herself before she spoke, only it didn’t work at all, and she ended up giggling instead. She’d just decided she wanted to sleep with this man, and here he was! Carmia was an amazing place. And she’d turned into a giddy mess.

“Hello, Zac.” She’d tried to sound in control and deeply at peace, but instead she sounded formal and ridiculous. She might as well have said,
Good evening, Zachariah
. That made her giggle again.

“Chris?” He looked concerned.

“No.” She put a finger to her lips and looked around cautiously before she whispered, “I’m Angelina Jolie. Tell no one.”

“Are you okay?”

“Extremely. Why?”

“Nothing. Are you alone?”

She was filled with excitement at the question, thinking he might be about to propose the very same fling she wanted, until she realized he wasn’t necessarily interested in being alone with her, he could just be asking if she’d brought Bodie back to the house tonight. “Yes! I’m alone. Did you think I brought Bodie home with me?”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“Then why are you here?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Were you hoping to watch?”

Zac looked surprised for a split second before he snorted. “I think I’d better come in.”

“What for?” It wasn’t exactly a polite question. She wished the tequila would magically exit her brain. “Well, I mean, are you going to kiss me again? Because I’m not sure that’s a good idea when I’ve had a couple of margaritas or three.”

His brow rose. “Only if you want me to, Chris.”

Yes.

“Hmm.” She backed up and tripped over whatever was behind her that was trippable.

His strong hands caught her—not that she was going to fall—but it was good to know his reflexes were excellent in case she needed him to catch bullets or something.

The thought made her giggle again. “You can come in.”

“Thanks.” He walked over the threshold, making Eva’s tiny house seem even tinier. “I take it you had a good time with Bodie tonight?”

“You know what?” She closed the door behind him. “You are so sweet to be so relentlessly and none-of-your-businessly concerned about my dates with other men.”

“Yeah, I’m precious.” In the soft light she could see the tension in his face, which was otherwise irresistibly handsome. “How did it go?”

“It was fabulous. Amazing. The best night of my life.” She gestured dramatically, gazing off into the distance as if remembering fondly. “We dined on oysters and filet mignon, sipped champagne and thousand-year-old brandy and discussed politics and philosophy and literature and music.”

Zac’s eyes narrowed. He folded his arms over his chest, which made him look even larger and more stern, and which made her want to giggle and jump him all at the same time. Funny how he’d annoyed her at first and then got sexier and sexier, while Bodie had made her weak with lust at first sight, then turned distinctly icky. “Did he behave?”

“Pretty much.” Chris brought her arms down. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

His body tensed. “What does that mean?”

“Zac, Zac, Zac.” She sighed with exaggerated exasperation. “He wanted to sleep with me, but I didn’t want to sleep with him and told him to go away and he did. Okay?”

“Okay.” Zac relaxed visibly. “Good.”

Chris rolled her eyes. “Can I have my allowance now, Dad?”

He glared at her. “If he had done anything worse than annoy you, I would have gone over to his house, taken his surfboard and shoved it—”

“Ew, yes, okay. Please do not go on.” She held up a hand to stop him, secretly thrilled at his knight-in-shining-armor protectiveness. “Don’t need to hear those details.”

His glare didn’t ease. “Are you seeing him again?”

“Didn’t I say that was none of your business?” She jammed her hands on her hips and glared right back. “No, of course not. You and my sister were both right. He’s creepy.”

As if she had super fairy-dust magic, his glare cleared. “Smart girl.”

“Me or Eva?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” She walked over toward the kitchen, feeling euphorically light and free, but also in control of her emotions and the situation—the perfect balance. However, she had decided very sensibly that she shouldn’t proposition Zac while her brain was still ruled by El Jimador Blanco, since life decisions made in that condition were not exactly trustworthy. “So, do you want a drink or anything? I’m going to have about a gallon of water.”

“I’ll have water, too. I’m not staying long.”

She was disappointed. And also not. Being around Zac tonight, broad and solid in a blue polo shirt that brought out the intense color of his eyes... Well, in her margarita-induced state of weakness, it would be too easy to give in to lust and invite every bit of the inappropriate behavior she hadn’t wanted from Bodie. Too soon to make that call.

Maybe first thing in the morning.

“Come, sit.” Holding their water glasses in hand, she led him into her sister’s living room, eclectic and colorful, just like Eva. A drab beige couch was enlivened by a Mexican shawl, richly colored pottery brightened every surface, and a black-and-teal-painted table drew focus to the center of the room. Eva was the type of person who could buy something ridiculous, throw it somewhere and have it instantly make a chic and fabulous statement.

Maybe Chris just tried too hard. Her New York apartment was efficiently furnished and color coordinated. When she got back she’d do something to make it more playful. Like install a full-size photo of Zac on the ceiling over her bed.

She handed him his water and waited for him to sit, then realized he was being a gentleman and waiting for her.

Hmm. If she chose the couch, he might sit next to her, and she’d be in danger of falling victim to the warmth of his large and deliciously muscular body.

Yum.

If she chose a chair, he would have no way of sitting next to her and she’d be in no danger of falling victim to the warmth of his large and deliciously muscular body.

Darn.

She dodged the issue entirely by staying upright.

As did he.

“Well.” She sounded ridiculously chipper, the way she always did when she was nervous. It was going to be very hard to keep to her temporary vow of chastity if Zac made the slightest move. Like if he blinked. “Was there any reason you came by tonight besides making sure I wasn’t conceiving a bunch of mini Bodies?”

“Actually, I came over to apologize.”

She stared up at him. “Apologize? For what?”

“I have no idea.” Zac downed a gulp of water. “I was hoping you’d know.”

“Me?” She was officially baffled. “What do you mean? Am I angry at you?”

“Hey, I remember this.” He picked up an exquisitely detailed redwood carving of a sea turtle from the bookshelf. “I gave this to Eva when she first moved to Carmia. What was that, five years ago? Three? I’ve lost track.”

Chris could cheerfully slug him. Did he know he was reducing her to utter confusion yet again? Did he do this on purpose?

“What am I being apologized to for?” She frowned, wondering if that held up grammatically.

“Luke and I had a talk. We agreed it’s a good idea to apologize to women.”

Chris snorted. “That is sexist and ridiculous.”

“Is it?” He tossed the turtle from one hand to the other. “I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” She moved closer on the pretense of examining the little turtle. “I remember Eva telling me about this and about you. She was sort of in love with you back then.”

“I was sort of in love with her, too.”

“But you never did anything about it.”

“Nope.” He put the carving back on the shelf and stared at it, his back to her.

“Why not?”

“I’m not Bodie?”

“Oh,
whew
. That is such a relief. I thought—”

“Some people you can love and still be satisfied with friendship.” He turned. “Others not so much.”

Chris took in a breath that seemed to go on forever. How was it possible to have that deep an effect on a person with just words and a look? She felt as if she was slowly drowning, except this water was exceptionably warm and clear and sweet and inviting. Even her wise inner voice was waving pom-poms and chanting,
dive, dive, dive
!

Or maybe that was just her hormones. She wasn’t going to listen to them. They’d been drinking.

But Zac seemed to be talking about something a hell of a lot more intense than a fling if he’d mentioned the L-word. That was not her plan at all.

“Zac, I’m sorry. I don’t want to get seriously involved with you.”

His eyebrow quirked. “Did I just ask you to?”

“Oh. Um. No.” Her face grew red. “No, but, well, you kissed me last night, and then tonight you showed up, and just now you said that about friendship and love and now I’m exactly the crazed babbling character I don’t want to be, and it’s all because of you.”

“Maybe that’s what I was apologizing for.”

“I don’t know.” She sat on the couch, plunked her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, stomach churning acid. “I just know I can’t think straight when you’re around.”

“Yeah?” He sat next to her, folding his hands between his long thighs. “That makes two of us.”

“Really?” She lifted her head, feeling a little more hopeful. Idiocy apparently loved company. “What should we do?”

“I was thinking we should be friends.” He put the glass to his mouth and mumbled something very peculiar.

She was sure she hadn’t heard him right. “Wind buffets?”

“Uh. No.” He put the glass back down. “I said, ‘with benefits.’”

Chris sat there stupidly for two seconds until a fluttery little dance started in her chest. But...this was exactly what she wanted. She and Zac were on the same page for probably the first time in their entire friendship.

Still, hadn’t she decided she wouldn’t have a fling with him until she was sober? Her chest tightened. Her stomach went back to sick. Yes, she had. “Zac, I...think I need time to process that one.”

“Understood.” He leaned in so his shoulder pressed against hers. Even that innocent a touch was sexy when it was Zac. When Bodie had squashed her against the front door, she’d felt a whole lot of nothing. “Unless we’re both sure that’s what we want, we shouldn’t agree to anything.”

Chris nodded, relieved at how sweet and understanding he was being, and miserably disappointed because she was ridiculously hot for him and wanted his body immediately.

There wasn’t a single other person in her life who managed to elicit opposing reactions in her time after time. She turned toward him and found herself staring at his beautiful mouth. “That sounds very sensible.”

Sensible.

God, she was heartily sick of sensible. Her entire focus of the past two months had been on trying to escape the evil clutches of sensibleness. Look how she felt now that she’d decided to ignore her pom-pom–brandishing inner voice and keep from jumping Zac’s delicious bones tonight because it was more
sensible
to wait. Sick! Tense! Miserable! How much more proof did she need?

“It does sound sensible, doesn’t it.” Now he was staring at her mouth, which was practically buzzing with the need for him to kiss her. “So...I better go before I do something I won’t regret.”

She giggled. “You think you wouldn’t?”

“I know I wouldn’t.”

Eva’s clock ticked off a whole bunch of seconds. A breeze fluttered the curtains.

“Chris.” He leaned in a couple of inches closer.

“Mmm?”

“I’m not moving away from you, am I?”

“Let me check.” She pretended to inspect, moving closer herself. “Hmm, nope.”

“I don’t think I can. So it’s up to you to move away if you want. Because I’m going to kiss you.”

“Oh, my.” Chris stared at his spectacular mouth. She could practically taste it again. “That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“It gets worse.” He leaned toward her until his amazing lips were mere centimeters away, and his warm, nongarlicky breath was brushing her skin, turning her slowly molten. “Because if I kiss you, I’m not going to want to stop there.”

“Oh! That
is
worse.
Much
worse.” She was imagining his hands on her naked body, his warm torso lowering over hers. Or under hers. Or behind hers. Or—

His mouth tasted just as wonderful as it had the other night, and the pressure of his lips ignited a fierce and primal response in her, just as it had the other night.

But unlike the other night, they were on a nice soft couch, and unlike the other night, her defenses were somewhere down around her ankles. Chris wanted this. She’d invited this. She didn’t need defenses.

He pushed her back on the couch—or had she moved there herself, inviting him along? She didn’t know. But the passion that came to life between them, her legs locking around his, their hips straining toward each other, that was definitely mutual.

Also unlike the other night was the...the...

She struggled under the haze of passion to recognize what it was she was hearing.

The doorbell! Again!

Zac’s eyebrows flew up, then immediately crashed down. “Expecting someone?”

“No.” She held his eyes, breathless, not wanting him to move off her. “No one.”

The bell rang again, followed by aggressive knocking. A man’s voice.

Zac got up and headed toward the door, body tense, face grim.

Uh-oh.
Chris followed him anxiously. If either Bodie or Gus were outside, she felt really, really sorry for them, and
really
hoped that whoever it was, he hadn’t brought his surfboard.

It wasn’t either Bodie or Gus.

“Eva!” Chris stood stock-still before throwing herself into her twin’s arms. For the first time in her entire life she was wishing her sister wasn’t on her doorstep. Or on Eva’s own doorstep. Or whatever. “I was just talking to you! Why didn’t you tell me you were already here?”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“You did, you did!” Chris laughed drily.
Yeah, no kidding.

“Zac!”
Eva sent Chris an oh-my-God-you-owe-me-details look before giving him one of her passionate embraces. She looked her wonderful kooky self, with her bright red-framed glasses and a green knit cap over her blond hair, peacock earrings that dangled to her shoulders and a polka-dot top over scarlet leggings tucked into black ankle boots. Strangely, for once Chris didn’t feel drab and boring next to her. Maybe the tequila...