The One For Me (Danver #8)(32)

He leaned down to brush a kiss onto her cheek before moving his lips to her ear. “No need for the tie, Angel—I have handcuffs.” With that statement, he gave her a quick salute and followed Denny out.

Since every head at the barbecue was still turned to her, she playfully held up her fingers in a V for “victory.” “That’s right, I’ve got a date tomorrow night!” After a few seconds of silence that felt more like minutes, the applause started and she took a bow.

Who knew that all it took was the promise of dinner with a sexy man and two glasses of wine for Crystal Webber to turn into a wild woman? Dear Lord, had the answer to her happiness been that simple all along?

• • •

Denny smirked as they walked into Mark’s house an hour later with Chinese takeout. “‘At last, your love has come along. Your tying-up days are overrr . . .’”

“Shut up, asshole,” Mark snapped as he listened to his assistant butcher a classic love song.

“Oh, come on, man, I was just getting to the part about not turning any more asses red. That was my best verse. I worked on this for the entire trip.” He pouted.

“I knew I should have gone through the fucking McDonald’s drive-thru,” Mark grumbled.

“Well, if you hadn’t lied and made us leave before the actual food was served at Declan’s, we wouldn’t be in need of food. Why’d you bother to tuck tail and run after making out in the closet, talking dirty, and then asking her out? Heck, it was all smooth sailing and you panicked.” Looking suddenly serious, Denny asked, “What made you do that, by the way? The date, that is. . . .”

Mark dropped on a barstool and lowered his head onto his folded arms. “I don’t know. I caved to pressure. Declan was warning me off, like I was going to defile her or something.”

Denny raised his brows and Mark flipped him off. “Yeah, so maybe he had a small point. But for once, I was trying to be a good guy—and she wouldn’t let me. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear she was taking a BDSM training class.”

“Maybe she bought some self-help books,” Denny interjected. “You know, Spankings for Dummies or Bondage 101 for Beginners.”

Mark rubbed his eyes before chuckling. “I wouldn’t doubt it at all,” he admitted. “There’s something about her, though. She makes me want shit I’ve never desired before, and it’s scary as hell.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s wrong,” Denny said. “You’ve been different with her from the beginning. If she were one of your usual women, then we wouldn’t even be having this discussion because you’d have already slept with her and she’d be long gone. The fact that you haven’t, even though you obviously want her, should tell you something.”

“That I’m losing it?” Mark asked ruefully. “Or maybe I’m just getting too old for the crap I’ve always favored.”

“Yeah, a bad case of arthritis and you’re out of business,” Denny snickered. “Imagine having to rub on the joint cream before you crack the whip. Talk about ruining the moment. And don’t even get me started on the smell. You remember how the grandparents’ house smelled like a mixture of mothballs and mint toothpaste?”

“This is beyond depressing.” Mark groaned. “It’s Saturday night and I’m sitting here discussing old age with my cousin. Let’s hurry up and eat so I can be asleep by nine. That’s what old bastards do, right?”

“You’re really pathetic,” Denny said sarcastically. “Might I point out that your dry spell can be measured in weeks? Plus, you have a date with a beautiful woman tomorrow night. All men should have your kind of problems.”

Mark nodded, grabbing a container of shrimp lo mein. “I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?”

Denny snorted. “Thank God. The conversation was beginning to sound like a category on Jeopardy! called ‘Things That Losers Say.’ I’m glad you’re back to your humble self again.”

They polished off their meal along with a couple of beers each while joking around. He’d never admit it to the other man, but it was one of his better Saturday nights on record. He’d been restless for a while, and when having sex with a variety of women came in second to a night with your cousin, it was definitely time for a change. He was in no way talking about settling down and buying a fucking minivan, but the possibility of trying a relationship with one woman was almost intriguing. He’d never known that before, so how could he judge whether or not it was right for him? And he couldn’t think of anyone better to fill that position than Crystal Webber. He’d already established that he wanted her around—hell, he was making an ass out of himself for her and the world at large to witness.