"It can't happen like this, Sage. It has to happen because we are consumed with desire. I want you to be making love to me, not trying to escape your pain."
He wasn't being cruel, but he was still ticking her off. She wanted to forget what had happened today, and she was sure that being in his arms would be just the right antidote. He'd told her earlier, before the poor little girl was wheeled in, that he wanted her. So why wasn't he stripping her right here in his truck?
"Fine. Then take me home." Just great. She was now embarrassed on top of everything else. She'd thrown herself at him and was rewarded with a nice, fat rejection.
"Nope. That's not going to happen, either. I'm going to feed you a good, healthy meal, then I'm going to bring you back out to my truck and drive you home-your home. And once we're there, we'll park out front and steam up the windows. Then, when I can't stand another second without ravishing you in the most disgraceful way possible, I will walk you to the door, kiss you one last time, and then run like crazy back to my truck before I do something foolish like follow you indoors and taste your body like I so desperately want to." His voice had grown huskier the longer he spoke.
For her part, Sage felt her breathing rise a few notches. This man could turn her on with nothing but words.
"I don't think I can eat anything," she said, deciding for now to ignore the rest of his declaration.
"Then eat for me." With that, he turned off the truck and pulled her with him out the driver's door. After being in the heat of his truck for the past half hour, it was a real shock to step outside into the freezing snow.
"Fine," she said. Not that she had much choice.
The sooner they got through the meal, the quicker they could begin their make-out session in his truck. That, more than anything else, made her more than ready to eat.
Later, the night did end the way he'd described it, but with just a little more moaning on his part than he'd led her to expect.
"Get in here and open this package right now!"
Sage turned from the front door to find Grace sitting on the couch with a long box in front of her on the coffee table, practically salivating over the thing.
"I've had a long day at work, Grace. What's got your panties in a bunch?" But Sage knew. Grace was just as excited to see what was in the package as Sage was.
"Don't play dumb with me, roomie. It's only because I'm such a loyal friend that I haven't ripped this box open. This is a different shape than the others and I'm dying to see what's inside. So hurry up and end my misery."
Sage walked over to the couch and sat down. To be truthful, she wanted to open the package, but it was so much fun to torment her best friend. She wasn't sure which of them could hold out longer, but she was going to try.
"I'm so tired," she said. "These long shifts have got to end at some point." She slowly pulled off her shoes and began massaging her feet.
"I'm sure you could find a highly qualified surgeon who would love to rub those feet for you if you'd quit avoiding him like the plague. I swear that he left fifty messages on the machine a couple of days ago. You'll have to tell me what happened eventually. I'm not above using Chinese torture methods."
"If you were ever home, Grace, maybe I'd be more willing to talk to you."
"I'm home now, sweetie."
"I lost a patient, then offered myself to Spence, and he turned me down. So I avoided him during my two days off, ate a lot of Chunky Monkey, and slept for hours on end. It was horrifically boring."
"Well, then, at least you were nice and rested." Grace did have a way of looking at things from a brighter perspective.
"Not anymore. And though I was nice and rested, I had nowhere to go," Sage said with a lopsided grin.
"If you'd answer the phone, I'm sure you'd have somewhere to go all the freaking time. For now, let's open this box." Grace jumped up, grabbed it, and tossed it into her friend's lap.
Sage had no choice now but to open it. She took the card off the top and read that first.
Please wear this tonight.
Yours, Spence
"Ooh, I can't stand the suspense," Grace said as she rocked from foot to foot.
Sage opened the lid and didn't know what to say. Inside was a dress, a delicate hunter-green chiffon gown with long, flowing sleeves and a slit that was indecently high on one thigh.
"I couldn't wear this," Sage gasped.
"Oh yes you can, and you will. I am so jealous," Grace said as she stood up, took the dress from Sage's fingers, and held it up to her body with great drama. "You'll definitely look like a princess. I guess he really is keeping that whole royalty theme rolling, isn't he?"
And she proceeded to twirl around the living room while humming a Disney tune.
"Do you want to go on the date with Spence?" Sage asked with a laugh.
"Don't tempt me. It's been way too long since I've had sex," Grace grumbled. She handed the dress back to Sage and slumped down in her seat.
"From what I've seen, Camden wouldn't mind getting underneath your skirt," Sage said with a waggle of her eyebrows.
"I don't think so. We can barely stand to be in the same room together. That man runs hot and cold like a kitchen faucet. One minute he's all charm and the next he's Mr. Brooding. I don't get it. Not like I care or anything."
"If you'd just spill your guts about whatever deal you have going on with the man, your troubles would evaporate," Sage told her.
"There will be no spilling of my guts. It's a national secret," Grace said with a wink.
The frightening part was that Sage could see Grace mixed up with some ultrasecret mission. It was the sort of thing that fit perfectly with her best friend's personality.
And as usual, Grace changed the subject. "Okay, if you're going to wear that dress, Sage, we have to go shopping right this minute for the most shameless panty set we can find. You have to be sexy as sin when that thing comes off."
"I haven't even decided whether I'm going," Sage said, but Grace just jumped up and grabbed pen and paper.
"You are so going, Sage. I can see it in your eyes. Besides, you'd be a fool not to. I can already tell that this is going to be the best date ever."
"I don't know . . ." She'd offered her body and he'd turned her down flat. That still stung, despite all his fine talk about being a gentleman or whatever.
"Oh, quit being a martyr. If anyone needs to loosen up, it would be you. You've always put everyone and everything in front of your own happiness. Yes, getting good grades and excelling in everything academically is great and all, but you have to live a little, too. Otherwise you'll never have a well-rounded life. Trust me on this one. Let's get the sexy undies, go and get manis and pedis, and then knock the socks right off of Spence when he shows up tonight."
The pleading in Grace's tone was her undoing. Not only did Sage want to do this, but having a girls' day out sounded perfect. With the number of hours she had been working, a night off was always good. And she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a pedicure. That was exactly what she needed. The week's stress would float away the minute she put her feet in the hot, massaging water.
They left immediately, since it was an hour to the nearest mall. Peggy's clothing store didn't carry the kind of lingerie Grace had in mind. Living in a small town was great until you wanted to do some real shopping and have a gourmet meal. Sage wasn't complaining, really, but she did love the convenience of a big city.
The first store they hit was Victoria's Secret, and Sage found herself blushing at the things Grace was holding up for her to examine.
"Are you crazy? I can't wear that. He'd think I was a hooker," Sage said as she looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention to them.
"You'll make him so hard, he'll drop to his knees and beg you to be his forever," Grace said, holding out a bright red corset and garter belt. "Besides, you definitely want to be wearing a garter belt for much easier-and faster-access." She offered up her best wolfish grin.
"Why don't we just buy the split undies and make the access instantaneous?" Sage snapped.
"Now that's an idea . . ."
"Look, Grace, I've never worn a corset or a garter belt. I don't know if I can even make the dang things work. I'd probably mess everything up." Sage eyed some pretty bra and panty sets that weren't quite so wanton.
"You will wear this, and then you will report to me how far his jaw drops when he sees you in it. Got it?"