Now or Never

lips. “I’m obviously attracted to you, and I was hoping it might be mutual so, I was thinking we could maybe have sex. And if it was good, we could continue, and I wouldn’t end up leaving with strange men I met at bars. If it wasn’t—enjoyable I mean, maybe we could just be friends?”
    Had she really just said that out loud? Her pulse raced while she waited for his response.
    The line went silent for a moment, and then Derrick said, “Okay.”

CHAPTER 16

    Excitement raised goose bumps on Grayson’s arms. “Okay? You don’t think I’m insane?”
    “Well, this is definitely a first for me,” Derrick said with a laugh. The sound brought a smile to her face. “And yeah, it’s a little crazy.”
    Grayson couldn’t argue with him on that point. She was still reeling that she’d even suggested such a thing.
    “We’d need some rules though,” Grayson said. She wanted to get that out in the open before anything happened between them. If they set up boundaries, this would work better.
    “Rules huh…Such as? I’m not a big fan of rules. After all, if I was I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you right now.”
    “No falling in love.”
    Derrick laughed.
    “I’m serious. I’ll just hurt you. I can’t do a real relationship right now or maybe ever. No dating. No romance. Just sex, and maybe friendship. You know, the whole cliché ‘friends with benefits’ thing.”
    “I’m coming to pick you up,” he said, not acknowledging any of what she just said.
    “Now?”
    “Yes now, before you change your mind. What’s your address?”
    Grayson rattled off the address, her heart in overdrive, and her knees felt like they might buckle.
    “OK, I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
    “Alright.” Grayson hung up the phone and wondered once again what the hell she had gotten herself into. Realizing her time frame, and the fact that she probably stunk from obsessively cleaning the house, she ran into the bathroom jumped in the shower and rinsed off quickly. Grayson never brushed her teeth so thoroughly in her life; she then changed into a bra and panties that matched. She sprayed on a woodsy perfume, her hands shaking the entire time. What if Derrick was a dud like Jerry, and Todd was an anomaly? That would be awkward. What if her brother found out? He would be so pissed.
    Whatever , Grayson told herself, laughing out loud. She was a grown woman. She didn’t have to listen to her older brother.
    By the time Derrick pulled up in a black SUV, eagerness and a low simmering of excitement had started to make her feel like a live wire.
    Grayson ran out the door before he had a chance to get out of the car. This needed to be pure sex, no boyfriend type moves like opening her car door were going to happen as far as she was concerned anyway.
    “Hey,” she said breathlessly, meeting him at the passenger door.
    Derrick just lifted an eyebrow with a slight twinkle in his eye and opened the door for her.
    Damn it, Grayson thought, there goes that plan.
    The sleeves of his cotton shirt were pushed up, revealing his muscular forearms. He looked even more handsome then she remembered, if that was even a possibility. She wanted him bad, and now.
    Grayson slid into the seat, wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans as he closed the door behind her. This had to be the craziest thing she’d ever done in her life. Well, maybe not the craziest thing, but close to it. All of the wild moments in her life seemed to be increasing since leaving Josh. She didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
    Grayson needed to mentally check herself. Whatever, she told herself, j ust go with it, and shut your damn brain off already.
    Derrick put the SUV in drive and then took off down the road. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. She looked out the window and watched as they passed rows of houses and a blur of colorful, fall trees. Finally, Derrick broke the ice, and Grayson couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief.
    “So tell me, Grayson. What do you do with your free time?”
    It was a positive sign that he asked about her. Unlike most guys who liked to talk about themselves. “I don’t know. Read, hike, and other lame stuff. Nothing very exciting.” Ugh, she was such a dork.
    He turned slightly. “I love to read, too.”
    Grayson remembered. He’d had his face buried in a book in the coffee shop the day he’d scribbled his name and number on her cup. “Really? Who’s your