Flirting With Disaster by Sofia Harper

no way I can get
up without you looking. You'll say you won't, but you will.”
    He wouldn't even tell that lie. “My memory
is fuzzy from last night. I might need to add in some details I
might have missed.”
    Brooke just blinked at him. He pointed to
the nightstand. “There's water. I'll get started on your breakfast.
Come down when you're fully dressed.”
    He rose from the chair, waited until he was
almost out the door before saying, “For instance, I'm a bit unclear
about your heart-shaped birthmark.” It was on her ass.
    “ We have to stop doing
this,” she said before hiding under the covers.
    That was a new point of contention for them,
because he felt like they'd just gotten started.
    *****
    Peyton's eyes were wide as she sipped on her
thai chi. Brooke fought her sigh. Her friend expected racy details
of a drunken night filled with naughty shenanigans.
    Was Brooke embarrassed over her behavior?
Hell, yeah. She'd drunk way too much and had gone home with Dane.
No one but her friends would believe nothing had happened.
    She ate a chip from the bag sitting in front
of her. She'd gone into work, but had only flailed about until
Peyton called her to meet at the coffee shop.
    “ So, do you need me to come
by tonight?” Brooke asked.
    “ Don't you need to
recover?”
    Brooke glared at her friend. “I'm a bit
groggy, but I should be fine.”
    Peyton sipped her tea and smacked her lips.
“Do you think that's a good idea?”
    Brooke growled out her frustration. “Just
ask me so we can get past this part of your curiosity.”
    Her friend blinked, trying her damndest to
look affronted. “Naomi isn't here. I want everyone to get all the
deets firsthand.”
    She laughed, exasperated. “God, I hate
you.”
    Peyton grinned. “Dane's a good guy.”
    “ Maybe.”
    “ Maybe?” Peyton
straightened. “He took advantage of you last night?”
    “ No.”
    She wished they'd taken advantage of each
other. Instead, what they had done when they were at his house was
innocent and poignant somehow. If he were a monster underneath his
stylish sweaters and expensive jeans, she'd have something to gripe
about. But no, he'd taken care of her and would have walked her
home if she'd let him.
    He'd been so open with her when he'd told
her about his past. And man, his ex was a piece of work. Honestly,
they'd experienced the same kind of crappy relationship drama. Men
weren't supposed to have needs outside of sex, they didn't love
their children or want any like women did, etc, etc. She'd bet
money his ex didn't see what was wrong with those ideals and
beliefs. Her ex definitely hadn't seen the problem with her role as
the “woman” in the relationship.
    Brooke covered her face with her hands,
because everything was muddied between them now. His comment about
women not loving cars as much as men fought with the Dane she'd
experienced last night and this morning. The only clear thing was
she wanted him in her bed. The night wasn't that fuzzy from liquor.
She remembered every touch, every kiss, how warm and smooth his
skin had been pressed against hers.
    He wasn't the man she'd believed he was, and
he was every inch the man she thought he was. Those complex and
fractured images warred with each other.
    “ Don't ask me about Dane.
When I think about him my brain starts to hurt. Let's talk about
something simple. Like, how I have to call my brother today.” She
thought of the cars they did have and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Let's talk about how I'm probably going to ask my brother to stay
on and help me with those cars.”
    “ The cars are that bad?”
Peyton asked.
    Brooke dropped her hands. “Yes and no. I can
do it alone, but it makes no sense when my brother can help. We'll
get the job done faster.”
    “ Faster?”
    “ Much. Naomi has this neat
little timeline and I'm not looking to linger over this job. She
can do the shoots later, get together all the details, but I'd
rather have those cars ready sooner than