Sultry at 30 (Love Without Batteries) Read online

  “No problem. I’m not going to push you to talk about anything,” I assured her. “Can I have your number?”

  She hesitated before nodding. “Give me your phone and I’ll send myself a text. I’m deleting the text from your phone, so you won’t have mine. If you don’t do anything completely weird and creepy, I’ll text you back so you have my number.”

  “You really are overly cautious, aren’t you?” I asked, wondering if she’d had some bad experiences with guys in the past. There were far too many guys who couldn’t take no for an answer.

  “I don’t want to have to change my number if you end up being a pervert,” she remarked before adding, “Being an over-the-top pervert isn’t okay, but being a little perverted isn’t a bad thing.”

  “I just need to limit my perversions,” I deduced.

  “Exactly!” she agreed. “You seem nice, but you’re essentially a stranger. A woman can’t be too careful these days.”

  “Fine,” I began, “I promise to act perverted, but not too perverted so you’ll give me your number.”

  Chapter Five

  Delaney

  Looking around the crowded café, I knew we needed to give up our table. We’d lingered there for an hour while people waited for tables. Even our super sweet waitress was starting to give us the stink eye every time she came to ask if we needed anything else.

  “You look as disappointed about having to leave as I am,” Sebastian remarked.

  “I’ve been having fun,” I admitted.

  One eyebrow rose. “You sound surprised.”

  “To be totally honest, I am,” I told him. “When I agreed to sit with you, I expected to find out you were one of those hot guys who does nothing but talk about himself.”

  “You think I’m hot?” he asked with a cocky grin.

  “That is what I just said,” I replied in a dry tone. “Technically, it was simply implied that you’re hot, but I think you were able to figure out my meaning without some big explanation.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I figured it out, but I was hoping you’d say something about how much you want to rip my clothes off.”

  “Tempting as that is, I’m going to pass on feeding your ego this afternoon,” I replied, trying not to let the image of Sebastian with no clothes on take root in my mind. It was an image I intended to fantasize about later.

  “Am I at least going to be able to talk you into giving me your number now?” he asked. “I can’t possibly give you a proper goodbye kiss if I’m worried I’ll never see you again.”

  A lot of people will argue this only happens to guys, but I swear the idea of kissing Sebastian got me so turned on all the blood left my head. Pulling my phone from my purse, I used that as an excuse to avoid talking until I could speak without saying anything too embarrassing, like suggesting he rip his own clothes off. As I sent him a text, I was pretty proud of myself. It was a good reply—suggestive with no mention of him stripping naked. It only took me two tries.

  “Oh, shit!” When I looked down at my phone, I was mortified to realize I hadn’t deleted the entire message involving him stripping naked.

  ME: naked. I wouldn’t want to do anything to miss my opportunity to feel your lips on mine.

  Sebastian looked down at his phone and then back up at me. “Auto-correct?” he suggested, and I could have kissed him for offering me a way to explain my mistake. Who was I kidding? I could have kissed him, anyway.

  “Embarrassing mistake,” I confessed.

  “So, no naked kiss?” he asked with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

  “Not today,” I replied with a sultry drawl.

  Some might say it was wrong to tease Sebastian, but I figured we may as well suffer together. I was definitely going to be thinking about Sebastian, and I didn’t even have Justin to get me through it.

  “I can’t wait to taste every inch of your body,” Sebastian murmured. “Are you a screamer, Delaney?”

  He had definitely turned the tables on me in my game of teasing. Unable to speak, I just shook my head. The last guy I’d been with had been Cody, my ex-husband, and I’d barely made a sound in bed with him.

  “You will be,” he promised before tossing money on the table and standing.

  “I can pay for my own cake,” I offered.

  Sebastian shook his head. “When you eat that second piece later, I want you to think about me. Can I walk you to your car?”

  “I would appreciate that,” I told him honestly since I wasn’t ready for our time together to end.

  When we walked out the door, Sebastian placed a hand on my lower back. He made no move to put his arm around me, simply kept his hand there. That simple touch sent sparks of lust shooting through my body. I’d written stories about women reacting this strongly to a simple touch from a man, but I’d never experienced it before.

  “I had a great time,” he began, talking as if he weren’t sending hot waves of lust into my body. “This was definitely not the way I expected my day to go. In fact, I need to thank my sister for getting me to shop for her on my week off. I’m really glad I met you.”

  “I’m glad we met, too,” I admitted. “My friends have been trying to convince me to go out with someone for months.”

  “So, your breakup with Justin wasn’t recent?” he asked before catching himself. “Sorry, I know I promised we wouldn’t talk about Justin until you’re ready. Can I see you tomorrow?”

  I hesitated. I definitely wanted to see Sebastian again. That was why I’d given him my number—that and I wanted him to kiss me. I really wanted Sebastian to kiss me. We’d just reached my car, so I set the cake on the hood.

  “Why the hesitation?” he asked, using his hand on my lower back to turn me to face him. One hand moved to cup my cheek as his lips brushed against mine in a feather-light kiss. “You like me.” His lips brushed against mine again. “I definitely like you.” His tongue slid along one corner of my mouth. “Go out with me tomorrow.”

  When I nodded, Sebastian’s lips covered mine. His kiss was slow and deliberate as his tongue teased my lips, just barely sliding in before retreating. My hands moved up his chest to his shoulders as his hand on my lower back guided me even closer. I could feel the heat radiating from his body and my own seemed to be on fire, despite the cold air. When his tongue moved in to explore my mouth, I moaned loudly, forgetting we were in public.

  Sebastian slowed the kiss, easing back, before finally pulling away.

  “I am really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow,” he murmured before brushing his lips against mine one last time.

  The rest of our goodbye was somewhat hazy. My mind was still caught up in Sebastian’s kiss. When I grabbed my cake and slid into my car, I wanted to sit and fan myself for a few minutes, possibly let out a girly squeal and text my friends. Since Sebastian was still standing there, watching me in a way that let me know he was just as affected by the kiss, I decided to drive off. I’m not sure how he’d react to my girly squeal. As I pulled into traffic, I smiled. It had definitely been an unusual day.

  Chapter Six

  Sebastian

  After watching Delaney drive away, I checked the time on my phone and cursed. I was supposed to head over to my buddy Luke’s to see his new baby after shopping for my sister and grabbing a quick bite to eat. I felt like a dick for being late, but I’d honestly lost track of time with Delaney.

  I had no clue if Luke had other plans for the day, so I decided to send him a quick text before heading over to his place.

  ME: Sorry I’m so late. Do you still want me to stop by?

  I got a response from Luke just as I arrived at my car.

  LUKE: Sure. You can meet Chelsea. She was out with her friends earlier, but she’s home now.

  ME: I can’t wait to meet the woman you’ve been in love with for years.

  LUKE: She is perfect. You should try finding the right woman, too.

  My mind immediately went to Delaney. I was far from in love with her, but I could defi
nitely picture myself having feelings for a woman like her. I hadn’t dated much in the last two years. Until recently, I’d been trying to avoid relationships. To say my last relationship hadn’t ended well would be an understatement. Now, I was looking to get back into things. Hopefully, Delaney’s issues with her ex wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

  ME: For your information, I’m late because I lost track of time while having an early dinner with a hot redhead.

  LUKE: That’s funny because Chels was wondering if we could fix you up with her friend who also happens to be a hot redhead.

  ME: I do have a thing for redheads.

  LUKE: Yeah, I know. You have since high school.

  There’d actually only been one redhead for me back in high school. I’d become friends with Luke my senior year of high school, and I’d had an embarrassing crush on my economics teacher, Ms. McNeil. I’d been far too shy and nerdy to date in high school, but my crush on her had been a source of constant amusement for Luke.

  ME: I should be over there in about twenty minutes.

  LUKE: Don’t ring the bell. Just knock in case Haley’s asleep. Her nap schedule is off today.

  ME: Got it.

  I climbed into my car and made the drive to Luke’s, thankful traffic was light since I was driving out there during rush hour. My mind kept drifting to Delaney. I was definitely looking forward to seeing her again, and I was tempted to call her when I got home. Luke would call me a needy bitch, and I couldn’t blame him. I was suddenly desperate to talk to a woman I barely knew. Talking wasn’t all I wanted to do with Delaney. After that kiss, I was dying to kiss every inch of her body.

  With my thoughts centered on Delaney, my dick was rock hard by the time I reached Luke’s house—a situation I needed to deal with before I walked up to the front door. After some deep breathing exercises, I had my dick under control and made my way up to Luke’s front porch. I knocked softly, and when no one answered, I knocked a little more forcefully.

  Luke greeted me at the front door, cradling a fussing little girl dressed in pink. She had Luke’s blue eyes and a blonde tuft sticking up. With flushed cheeks and clenched fists, it was obvious the little girl wasn’t happy.

  “I didn’t wake her up, did I?”

  “Nah,” Luke assured me, stepping aside so I could enter. “She’s just hungry. Chelsea is warming a bottle for her, but Haley doesn’t like to wait. This is her I’m going to start screaming any minute if you don’t feed me look.”

  Haley let out a little cry, and Luke moved her so she was facing him. He patted her back and bounced her. “Mommy is getting your bottle now. I know it sucks that those bottles don’t make themselves the minute you want them.”

  Haley was not amused with him mocking her hunger, if her cries were anything to go by.

  “That girl is not happy with you,” I told him.

  Luke chuckled. “She’s only happy when she’s getting her way, just like Chels.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Chelsea demanded as she walked into the room with the bottle.

  Chelsea’s voice and pinup girl figure were very distinctive, and I immediately recognized her.

  Luke took the bottle and Haley calmed as soon as he popped it in her mouth.

  “You must be Sebastian,” Chelsea greeted me with a smile.

  “And you must be Chelsea,” I replied lamely. I had no clue how I was supposed to react in this situation. This was definitely a crazy coincidence.

  “Luke tells me you have a thing for redheads,” Chelsea began with a bat of her eyes.

  “Delaney doesn’t want to date anyone,” Luke reminded her. “She’ll date when she’s ready. Besides, Sebastian found his own redhead.”

  “Too bad,” Chelsea lamented mostly to herself. “Delaney really is a lot of fun.”

  “What’s this girl’s name?” Luke asked. “The one who made you forget you were supposed to come over here.”

  “Delaney,” I admitted with a grin. “I believe you know her.”

  “Oh. My. God.”

  That was all Chelsea said before snatching her phone off the coffee table and hurrying out of the room.

  Chapter Seven

  Delaney

  I’d just walked in the front door, and I was trying to decide whether I should eat my second slice of cake or make dinner when my phone buzzed with an incoming message.

  CHELS: You sneaky bitch! How could you keep this from me?

  ME: Have you been drinking again?

  CHELS: What?

  ME: I’m just wondering if that’s why you’re talking so crazy all of a sudden.

  When my phone buzzed again, I saw it was an incoming call from Chelsea, so I waited to answer, letting it ring four times. This is how I get even with my friends for making me wait for a response when I text them. “Hello,” I answered, trying to sound distracted.

  “Spill the beans about Sebastian,” Chelsea demanded.

  “How do you know about Sebastian?” I gasped. Naturally, I was going to tell her. It was exciting news, and I’d planned to tell her right after I ate my second slice of cake—or made dinner. Who was I kidding? I was totally eating that cake. “Were you spying on me?” There was no reason I could think of for Chelsea to spy on me, but it seemed like the only way she could have found out before I told her.

  “No,” she replied. “Sebastian is Luke’s friend—the one I wanted to fix you up with. He’s sitting in my living room.”

  “Sebastian is Luke’s friend?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “The same Sebastian who kissed me earlier is Luke’s friend? Luke, as in the guy you’re living with? That Luke is friends with Sebastian?”

  “Why do you always have to ask me the same question several ways before you accept my answer?” Chelsea asked.

  “In my defense, this is a hard one to accept,” I explained.

  “I was shocked, too,” Chelsea admitted. “How did you meet Sebastian? It seemed like he recognized me.”

  “He was at the sex shop,” I explained.

  “Huh,” Chelsea paused to consider what I’d said. “That’s kind of pervy.”

  “Not as pervy as you might think,” I told her.

  “Wait! Did you say you kissed Sebastian?” Chelsea asked. “You did, didn’t you?”

  “I guess it’s more accurate to say he kissed me first, and then we were just kissing each other,” I explained. “He bought me cake.”

  “Then you had to kiss him,” Chelsea said in a dry tone. “If a man buys you cake, then you have no choice but to kiss him. Too bad he didn’t buy you lobster. That would have been a much more interesting story. I can only imagine how much more you’d have given him if lobster had been involved.”

  “It was really good cake,” I insisted, ignoring her lobster comment. “The kiss was also really fantastic. I couldn’t even think straight after he kissed me.”

  “And you didn’t call to tell me about the kiss?” Chelsea demanded.

  “I was a little busy at the time,” I pointed out.

  “Why didn’t you call me right after it happened?” Chelsea asked. “Did you call Brook first? I guess it’s okay if you were going to call me after you talked to her.”

  “I just walked in the door,” I told her. “On the drive home, I was trying to figure out how I ended up agreeing to go out with Sebastian tomorrow. This whole thing is insane. After we left the sex shop, I decided to stop for dessert. Sebastian invited me to sit with him since there were no tables available, and we just hit it off. Don’t talk to him about Justin.”

  “Why would I talk to him about your vibrator?” Chelsea asked.

  “He overheard some of our conversation earlier today, and he thinks Justin is my ex,” I admitted. I was surprised by how embarrassed I was by that misunderstanding. I’d talked about much more embarrassing things in public. Research proved that more than ninety percent of women over twenty-five owned at least one vibrator. Fine! I made that statistic up, but after po
sting it on Facebook, half the people I was connected to now believed it. It could be true. My hesitation in telling Sebastian about Justin made no sense. It was almost like I was embarrassed about my attachment to my beloved vibrator.

  Chelsea giggled. “Justin kind of is your ex. You’ve been really devoted to him and even used him as an excuse to avoid dating.”

  “And I could definitely use his services right about now,” I muttered.

  “Poor Delaney,” Chelsea crooned. “I guess you’ll just have to get Sebastian to fill in for Justin.”

  “I just met Sebastian,” I argued. “How old is he? I thought he looked kind of young, but I’ve never been good at judging age. He’s not Luke’s age, is he?”

  “It would really help if you stopped talking long enough for me to answer your questions,” Chelsea told me.

  “You know how I get when I’m nervous or excited,” I reminded her.

  “Which are you this time?” she asked.

  “Both,” I replied. “So, how old is he?”

  “I’m not sure,” Chelsea admitted. “He graduated the same year as Luke. They went to high school together.”

  “So, he’s also Ty’s friend?” I asked. This was getting messier by the second. I couldn’t exactly have a one-night stand with a guy I had a good chance of running into when he was hanging out with my friends. Sebastian also didn’t seem like he was looking for a quick lay. He seemed interested in dating me.

  “I don’t think he’s friends with Ty,” Chelsea replied. “They probably know each other, but Ty graduated a year earlier, and Luke said he and Sebastian met their senior year.”

  “I don’t like younger men,” I complained.

  “Apparently, you like Sebastian just fine since you’ve already admitted to making out with him today,” Chelsea pointed out.

  “I didn’t make out with him,” I insisted. “It was just a kiss.”

  Chelsea snorted. “Are you seriously trying to tell me it was an innocent kiss?”