“Yeah, and they were obnoxious.” Dylan shook his head. “Kathy Myers? Gina Stern?”
“Don’t forget the March twins,” Gage offered. “Dim as a busted bulb, but built like, ah, very pretty.” He shot their mother a covert glance.
“The point, Derrick,” she continued, “is that you’ve expressed more interest in Sydney than you have a lot of other women.”
“It’s probably just sexual frustration, Mom.” There. Let her chew on that. His brothers looked horrified he’d said it.
Barbara pushed a few plates of eggs at them. “That could be. Or it could be something more. When you engage in the physical aspect of the relationship with Sydney, you’ll see what happens.”
“Barbara Warren.” Gage’s eyes were as round as quarters. “You did not just encourage your son to have sex after one date.”
She flushed but continued to make her point. “No, I did not. I merely suggested that when he does, he’ll see more clearly. He needs proof she’s different. If he thinks he’s stuck on her because of a physical attraction, he should rule it out, but onlywhen they’re both ready. A relationship built solely on sex never lasts.
“I’ve seen the way women look at my sons. You’re all attractive men. Charming when you put your minds to it.” She gave Derrick a pointed stare. “So charm her and see.”
“I could have been with her last night. But I didn’t.”
Dumb, dumb, dumb to admit that.
Her eyes narrowed. “I see.”
“Oh hell. I like her. Is that so bad?” So why did his palms sweat just thinking about her? Why did he worry that she didn’t like him? He was Derrick Warren, a catch by any standard. Right? “I was respecting her boundaries. She already thought I was an ass. I just didn’t want to add to it.”
“Nice.” Dylan nodded. “Thatwas the plan. I didn’t think you’d stick to it. Now she’s off-balance. Now you make your move.”
Their mother disagreed. “The only reason I’d even suggest you engage in sexual relations—at a point when you both consider your relationship has matured enough to make that next step—is because it will increase the intimacy. Because that’s what any meaningful partnership is all about. Feelings and emotions. Sex can complicate things, though, so you need to both be ready for it.”
Gage stared, his mouth open. “Why the hell didn’t I get this advice with Hailey? It was all about talking to her and not groping her.”
“That’s what I’m telling your brother to do, to talk to her first. To get to know her and build a relationship built on mutual understanding and respect.”
“Not what I heard,” Gage muttered.
Derrick grinned. “Different strokes for different folks, little brother.” Glad that he no longer felt in the hot seat, he turned everyone’s attention to Dylan. “But there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. Why am I the only one under the microscope? What about Dylan? Last I heard, he broke up with his boy-toy. Not the other way around, like he told us. Why’s that?”
Everyone homed in on his brother and Derrick leaned back with a contented sigh. He couldn’t believe he was contemplating following his mother’s advice, but for once the woman had suggested something that made sense. His insane attraction to the redhead was a distraction. It might be nice to date a woman without the physical stuff in the way. They could be friendly before beingfriendly. Though everything in him shut down at the thought of his mother in conjunction with s-e-x, he reminded himself she offered therapeutic advice and nothing more.
Think of me as someone who’s here to listen, she’d said. Well,hewas listening. He’d try to get closer to Sydney, to get to know the woman behind that killer bod before taking that next big naked-bodies step.
Two hours later, he stood in front of Sydney’s door and knocked.
A few moments passed. She opened the door wearing a pair of clingy jeans and a soft pink blouse. The color shouldn’t have looked right with her red hair, but for some reason it did. She appeared ultra-feminine, soft, touchable.
Fuckable.Shit. He tried to focus on his family’s advice.
“Derrick?”
“Can I come in? Or is this a bad time?”
She stared at him in shock. “I, uh, yeah, sure. Come on in. I was just doing my weekly cleaning.” She stepped back and allowed him to enter. After closing the door behind her, she turned around—right into his arms.
Finally.He backed her against the door and leaned down to face her, nose to nose.
“Derrick?”
The whisper of her breath against his lips aroused him to no end. He’d been hard the entire journey to her house, trying to ignore his instincts. Now he had her in his arms, could feel her curves against his body. His resolve to take things slow and simple went out the window. Christ, he wasn’t going to last.
“You left last night before dessert.”
