The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(11)

“I’ll take that,” he says. “And just to sweeten the pot, if you agree, I’ll tell you all about how my mother and father met.”

“As long as you leave out their romps under the Magnolia trees.”

“Oh, no worries, nobody ever needs to hear that story. Even though it’s one of Mom’s favorites.”

“Now I’m scared again.”

“You should be,” he quips with a wink before he waves for the waitress’s attention to get us some refills. As I watch the way Rachel looks at Gray and he seemingly doesn’t even notice, instead looking right at me, I can feel something inside of me giggle happily.

Damn. I think I’m falling under the spell of a traveling salesman. Maybe I’m more like my mother than I ever suspected.





“Fuck, you look good,” I tell her.

The words slipping out of my mouth before I can stop them. Not that I would, but that seems to be a problem with this girl. She’s unlike the playthings I’m used to. By all rights, I should have forgotten her, but the memory of our weekend is just getting stronger and stronger with each minute I spend close to her. Lunch today was fun and one of the best times I’ve ever had with anyone. She entertains me and makes me laugh, and I actually like spending time with her so much that I found myself actually ignoring my rock-hard dick and concentrating on getting her to talk more.

I’m at her house picking her up for dinner. After our lunch date, I practically had to beg for her address—another first for me. Once I got it, I left and went back to schmooze with Riverton some more. While I’m enjoying the game I’m playing with CC, the same cannot be said with Riverton. He’s set a meeting up tomorrow afternoon. If that doesn’t work out, I don’t care what Seth says, I’m done. I’ll find another sponsor. He might not have as much pull with the higher-ups at the tournament, but there will be someone else who will get me the leverage I need with the committee. That’s all that is important. I’m not about to get jerked around, unless it’s by CC. She can jerk me all she wants. Visions of her hand moving up and down my cock spring to mind and, just like that, my semi-erection blooms into a full blown concrete crushing stiffy. This woman is killing me. If I don’t get in her pants again soon, I’m liable to start drooling and talking gibberish. I’m not far from that now, especially when she’s standing there in front of me wearing that auburn and gold hair down so that it curls loosely around her head, framing her face. She’s wearing a dark green silk dress that dips down enough just to highlight her cleavage and short enough to cover her thighs, but only after it curves and hugs the cheeks of her ass. She looked good this past weekend, but standing here right now, I can’t remember another woman before her. This is my first clue that I might be in trouble. My second is when she laughs, those thick beautiful lips curve up into a smile. They shimmer in the pale light with her lip gloss—pale pink in color. I imagine the color in a perfect ring around my shaft. Jesus, I can feel pre-cum gathering on my dick now. If I don’t get inside this woman soon, I’m going to blow.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she says and it takes me a minute for the blood to rush away from my dick for me to remember what we’re talking about.

“Are you ready to go, sweetheart?” I’ve used that endearment a million times, with a million different women. Suddenly, it sounds fake and wrong. CC isn’t like them. She deserves something special—something different. And there’s yet another clue that I might be in over my head with this woman.

“I guess…”

“You don’t sound too sure.”

“I’m still not convinced this is a smart thing to do.”

“You think too much. I don’t remember this side of you when we were in Lexington.”

“It didn’t matter then.”

“Explain,” I tell her, helping her put on her sweater before leading her out the door and waiting for her to lock it.

“It was one wild night out of time. No consequences, no repercussions, no worries. You’re in my hometown now. The place I’ve fought to make a name for myself that I could be proud of. A name Banger would be proud of. It’s taken me years to live down my mother’s past. The last thing I need is for people to think I’m anything like her.”

“This sounds like a deep conversation you can tell me more about over steaks and wine.”

“I don’t think that’s on the menu at Rosie’s, and that’s the only restaurant in town.”

“True, but we’re not going to Crossville. We’re going to Addington,” I tell her, and I can feel the muscles in her back tighten at my words. “Is something wrong with Addington?”

“It’s just not my normal kind of town. I’m more at home in Rosie’s diner, so unless you’re going to take me to Mickey D’s, I’m not sure I’m—”

“Stop worrying. First of all, the way you’re dressed is way too fine for fast food. Secondly, as much fun as I had at Rosie’s Diner with you earlier today, I want a good thick steak. I’m assured that the place to find that around here is Addington.”

“Listen, Gray…”

“Look at it this way: In Addington, no one will know you, and it will be like we continue our weekend with no worries.”