Bet Me Something (Something Series Book 3) (20 page)

“Ah, Kenz,
please don’t cry. I don’t have a clue what to do with tears.” He stepped
closer, cupping my chin.

“And you think I
do? I hate crying. Say something funny, so I’ll stop.”

“Uh, my most
embarrassing moment in life was during my senior year of high school when my
mom walked in on me doing Lindsay Stanton doggie style on my bed,” he blurted
out.

A giggle
erupted, and I clasped a hand over my mouth, picturing it. “Holy crap.”

“I believe
that’s what she said, too.” He exhaled harshly. “And I don’t know why I chose
to share a story about me having sex with another woman to get the woman I had
sex with to feel better. But that alone should highlight why I’m so bad at
this.”

“You got me to
stop crying.”

He let out a
breath. “My point is you deserved better. You always did, but the knowledge
that you didn’t think so, or you didn’t think I was capable of giving you
better is the hardest part to swallow.”

I had to bite my
lip to keep from tearing up again. “It wasn’t me thinking you weren’t capable.
It was me being afraid to ask and take a chance at being disappointed by the
answer. And I know this may freak you out, but you’ve spent more energy on me
than any one of my dates ever did—not to mention you know me better than, well,
pretty much anyone does. So in a way, you’ve been past fifth date status for a
while.”

“It makes me
crazy to think of you out with Jordan.”

“Is it him or
the thought of me with anyone that’s the problem?”

“I don’t know.”

“God. You make
me want to whack-a-mole you,” I muttered.

“What?”

“Whack-a-mole.
The game where you use a mallet to whack the mole’s head down. I came in here
ready to kill you, but my violence has now simmered down to a soft-sided mallet
whacking you upside the head.”

He shook his
head, looking amused.

Deciding to put
it bluntly, I asked, “Do you want to be with me? That’s simply what it comes
down to Colby.”

His eyes looked
intense. “The very idea of a relationship intimidates the shit out of me. You
think you’re aware of my flaws, but I’d be mortified if you knew half the stuff
from my past. If I can’t give you what you need, it would absolutely kill me to
hurt you.”

 I sighed
heavily. “I don’t care about your history Colby and as far as relationships go,
I’m not exactly ‘couple certified,’ either, considering I’ve never been in
one.”

“Wouldn’t it
bother you to attend a party next time, and instead of Holli with an I who I
haven’t slept with, there could be two women I have?”

“If you’re
making it clear you’re with me, and not actively wishing to sleep with them,
why would it?”

He shook his
head. “You say that now.”

“You’re right.
Neither of us knows how this will go. So we can give up now without ever trying
or we can see where it goes.”

He held my gaze
for the longest time. “If we do this, would you be completely honest with what
you want out of a relationship?”

 I didn’t
hesitate. “Yes, and the first thing is monogamy. If that’s something you can’t
do, then I’m out. I want that man you spoke of last night who can’t get me off
his mind and doesn’t have room for anyone else.” There, I’d done it. I’d put it
out there.

“I haven’t so
much as looked at another woman since we went to Vegas on the night of your
graduation party.”

I was absolutely
shocked. “But you had a date that one night.”

He smirked. “You
mean the day you threw yourself in front of a car?”

“Yeah, yeah, all
part of my plan to keep you from sleeping with other women. Really?”

“I had that
night already scheduled before we went to Vegas. Initially, I thought about
maybe hooking up with her, believing it might help keep me from thinking about
you that way, but—” he stopped himself mid-sentence, blushing at what he was
telling me.

“I got hit by
the car,” I provided, trying not to laugh at his pained expression.

He leaned in,
his mouth nuzzling my neck. “I’d already decided after your call that I was going
by to see you that night. And what I’m trying to say without coming across like
a complete asshole is: any time I entertained the idea of someone else, I
thought about you and couldn’t. If you wondered where I came up with those
words, they’re what I’ve been feeling. I can’t stop thinking about you even when
it’s been damn inconvenient.”

“Gosh, and here
I’ve always wished to be the girl who was convenient for someone.”

“It’s a good
thing your smart mouth is such a turn-on.” His lips met mine, before moving
behind my ear and peppering kisses down my throat.

“It’s a good
thing your TMI is kind of endearing, too, especially when you turn pink because
you get embarrassed.”

He returned to
my mouth, deepening the kiss, and then pulling away reluctantly. “We haven’t
had our first date yet, which means you need to keep it in your pants.”

“What?”

“I want to do
things the way they should’ve been done, which means I’m taking you out on a
real first date. Then a second one and so forth. You can teach me the, uh,
physical parameters along the way.”

Although there
was a slight feeling of disappointment that he didn’t wish to bend me over his
desk right now, it was greatly overshadowed with emotion over him wanting to do
this for me. “Do you have a timetable for these dates?”

“You want a
marathon session?”

I picked up on
the double entendre. “You’re leaving that one wide open, aren’t you?”

He grinned, and
then his face turned serious. “I’m bound to screw up some things along the way
when it comes to relationship protocol, but if you can give me a learning curve
and promise that whack-a-mole mallet doesn’t hurt too badly, I want to try.”

I lay my hand
aside his face, sensing the vulnerability and hope in his statement. “I’m
likely to mess up, too, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather do it with than
you.”

“I’m sorry about
last night and the way I left. I overreacted and shouldn’t have said the things
I did.”

“Yeah, well, you
wouldn’t have responded that way if I’d told you.”

“Maybe, but the
irony is that if you’d told me, nothing might’ve happened.”

We both
processed that thought, knowing he was probably right.

“Lay it out for
me. Second, third, fourth dates—mean what?”

I rolled my
eyes. “You make it sound as though I went into it with a game plan like: look,
it’s our third date, so I’m gonna need you to dry hump me. There were a lot of
factors involved, such as how long I’d known them, comfort level, et cetera.”

“So, you’re
saying we should define it as we go?”

I ran my hands
down his back, inhaling his scent. “Mm-hmm.”

“Still not
happening tonight, sweets.”

“It’s like you
can read my mind,” I mumbled.

He chuckled. “I
think, after last night, it might be a good idea to wait at least a couple of
days anyhow, so you can feel a little less sore.”

“What? Did you
google what to do after a virgin’s first time?”

His face turned
a deep crimson. Colby blushing was about the most adorable thing ever.

“You did?”

“Your first time
should’ve been something special. I wasn’t exactly gentle with you, and as said,
I’ve never been someone’s first time before.”

“Um, you gave me
three orgasms which I’d say is pretty freaking special. And I didn’t exactly
want it gentle if I’m being honest.”

His eyes
darkened with desire. “Fair enough, but do me a favor and humor me with the
five dates, okay?”

 I nodded
feeling as though this request may have more to do with him than with me. “All
right. But it’s like a reverse Jedi mind trick which has me wanting to hop on
you right now.”

His chuckled.
“Me making you wait has you wanting me more?”

“Uh-huh. Ironic,
isn’t it?”

“If I’d only
known that’s what drives the women crazy, I might’ve adopted this approach
years ago.”

I shook my head.
“Poor baby. I’m sure playing hard to get was the missing link this whole time
in getting you laid.”

He laughed,
kissing me playfully. “Let’s go. We have plans.”

***

Our first date started
that very evening on the Santa Monica pier. It consisted of two beers, four
fish tacos, and then walking the boardwalk hand in hand while enjoying the
summer night.

I’d called
Jordan earlier to turn down dinner. In the process, I found out his manager had
acquired my number via Max Tambor after having seen me talking to the record
producer earlier that night at the party. Jordan hadn’t sounded apologetic
about ignoring Colby’s request not to call me but had taken my no thanks to the
date in stride.

All thoughts of
him set aside, I leaned on the rail and watched Colby throw away our beer cups,
realizing I’d already had a better time in the last hour than I’d ever had on
any other date.

He walked back
towards me now, PDG in full force. “Do you want another round?”

“No. I’m good,
thanks. What do you want to do next?”

“This.” He
tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, trailing his fingertips along my cheek and
then leaned down for a kiss. His lips were soft, unhurried, and with a skill
that had my toes curling. His tongue flicked against mine one time with a
promise of what was to come.

“Wow,” I
breathed and then matched his grin.

“Yeah, turns out
kissing isn’t so overrated, after all.”

“Mm, you’re a
quick learner as that was one of your best yet.”

“I had a great
teacher.” He kissed me once more and sighed. “Come on, let’s get you home. I
have a feeling we can both use some sleep after last night.”

I nodded, taking
his hand. “Where did you end up going?”

“My office. I
couldn’t sleep, therefore I worked.”

When we climbed
into his car, I turned towards him. “Maybe I should take the guest room
tonight.”

“Why would you
do that?”

“So as not to
tempt the five-date rule?”

“Considering
I’ve been exercising restraint since Vegas every damn time I’m around you, a couple
more days won’t kill me.”

I smirked. “I
wasn’t talking about you.”

***

When Colby woke
me up the next morning, I swore it was still the middle of the night. I
snuggled further into the warm bed, but when I opened an eye, I realized he was
already dressed with a grin on his face, looking like an adorably anxious kid.

“Come on,
sleepyhead, get your sexy ass in the shower and get ready. We need to be on the
road in thirty minutes. You can go back to sleep once we’re in the car.”

“What? Why?”

“Our second,
third, and fourth dates await.”

I woke up fully
at his declaration and noted his PDG was even hotter first thing in the
morning. “Wait. We’re doing all three today?” I glanced over at the clock and
saw it was only four o’clock in the morning.

“Only if you’re
ready in thirty minutes.”

I was out the
door in half that time, slightly breathless from the effort.

He handed me a
to-go cup of coffee and leaned down for a kiss. “Somehow I knew the marathon
dating day might persuade you to get out of bed.”

We climbed into
the back of the waiting sedan and headed out onto the freeway. “If two through
four are today, when is, uh, date number five?”

He took my hand,
kissing it, and chuckled. “Why do I feel like I may have opened up Pandora’s
box?”

“You try waiting
twenty-two years for sex and see if you’re not anxious to experience every
position.”

His desire
became obvious with the way his eyes turned a darker shade of green. “We’re
doing these five dates even if it kills me. I thought we’d do the last one
tomorrow night?”

“Sounds perfect,
but we have plans in the morning first.”

His confusion
was obvious until I reminded him.

“I won the bet
with Jordan calling me, so you’re coming with me.”

He grinned. “Ah,
the hospital thing; got it. Now, you’d better get some more sleep as you’ll
need it with the day I have planned.”

His voice had
taken on a husky quality which made all my girly parts stand at attention. I
couldn’t wait.

***

Fourteen hours
later I learned that Colby Singer didn’t mess around when it came to planning
the ultimate three-date day. We started by driving two hours to Escondido,
where we arrived at the San Diego Safari Zoo. Once there, we fed a baby
elephant, a giraffe, and a hippo and spent the entire morning surrounded by
beautiful animals.